


The Player

by thesepromises



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 34,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesepromises/pseuds/thesepromises
Summary: Bobby McKenzie needs a lot of money, and fast. His best friend has an idea, but games of the heart can be dangerous. Will Bobby win more than just money, or will he lose everything?
Relationships: Bobby McKenzie/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 148
Kudos: 154





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This chapter contains references to domestic violence. Please do not read further if you will find this subject matter distressing.

Grey streaks of rain slid down my bedroom window, a visual representation of the way I was feeling inside. As tempting as it was to tug the duvet over my head and sleep for hours, I knew I had to get up and face the day.

  
People were relying on me.

  
Yawning, I tugged on a soft grey t-shirt and jogged downstairs into the kitchen.

My stomach churned as my Mum came into view, but I pushed down the unease and pasted on a cheerful grin.

  
“Mornin’, Mum. How’s tricks?” I chirped as I pulled the lonely box of cereal out of the cupboard. The door creaked and swung off the hinge, as usual. I hooked it back on and poured the small amount of cornflakes we had left into a bowl. I didn’t bother with the fridge. There wouldn’t be any milk today.

  
Mum was bent over a stack of paperwork, massaging her temples with her fingers. I could see the thick red writing and the arrears statements and the horrible words like ‘final demand’ and ‘bailiffs’ and I felt as scared as I did when I was a kid.

  
“Mum?” I sat at the table and placed my hand gently over hers.

  
She looked awful, her eyes ringed with deep, dark circles. Lines creased her forehead and her hair was a lank, dull ponytail. There was an echo still, of how beautiful she was once, but the stress was snatching it away.

  
Mum looked up and smiled wearily. “Morning, darling. Sleep well?”

  
“Uh huh,” I mumbled the white lie through a mouthful of stale cereal. “It was raining all night.”

  
“You loved listening to the rain when you were little,” Mum said fondly. She pushed the letters away and rubbed my arm gently. “It always sent you off to sleep. My lovely little Bobs. What would I do without you, eh?”

  
“You’d do alright, Mum.” I tried my best to sound upbeat. “Less muddy clothes to clean after footy and all that.”

  
Her laugh was strained but it was there all the same. “After everything I’ve put you through over the years it’s the least I can do.”

  
Tears wavered in her eyes and my heart began to pound. I pushed my chair out and went to her, kneeling beside her as the first tear spilled over her cheek.

  
“Mum, come on, it’s alright. You’re the best Mum ever, you know that.”

  
“I’m bloody hopeless. I should’ve been strong and stood on my own two feet. I should’ve put something in place before…” She broke off, her voice choked with tears. “Now look at me, debt up to my eyeballs, a business about to go under, hardly hanging on to the roof over our heads…” She sniffed violently, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. “I’m sorry, Bobby, love. Just having a bad day, that’s all.”

  
 _You never have good days_ , I thought, but kept my lips pressed together. I hated seeing Mum like this.

  
She had been happy once upon a time, when I was little and Dad was still around. She was always laughing then, vibrant, baking cakes and cheering me on at footy and tending to my scrapes and bruises. We would all go for a McDonalds after a Saturday morning match for a treat and Mum and Dad would share a milkshake and smile shyly like teenagers on a first date. We’d play board games and watch daft telly and they’d both tuck me in at night and Mum would sing me to sleep and everything felt perfect.

  
Then it all changed.

  
Dad was a partner in a company that was pretty successful. We lived in a decent home anyway, and I never wanted for anything. I got the latest toys at Christmas, shiny new trainers to kick about with my mates in.

  
Then out of the blue, the company went under. It turned out that Dad’s business partner had been fiddling the accounts for years. Dad had invested all of our money and now there was barely anything left.

  
What was left, he drank. My strong, caring, funny Dad fell deep inside the bottle and never came out again.

  
Nobody tucked me in any more. Dad would switch off the telly halfway through one of our favourite programs, muttering under his breath and Mum would gently push me up from the sofa.

  
“Time for bed, Bobs,” she’d whisper, trying to coax me out of the living room, but I was just a kid. I wanted to stay up and watch telly.

  
“No fair!” I’d protest noisily. “You never let me stay up any more!”

  
There would be a slam as Dad banged his fist down on the coffee table, a rattle as the empty bottles of beer trembled and rolled off onto the carpet.

  
“Get. To. Bed.” Dad would hiss through gritted teeth, and I knew better than to argue with him.  
I’d try to make it upstairs before the shouting started, but I never made it.

  
It would be silent at breakfast the next morning. Mum’s hands would shake as she handed me a plate of toast. She’d turn her face away but I always saw the bruises.

One night I was cowering underneath my pillow, trying to sing songs loudly enough to cover the noise from downstairs, but quietly enough that I wouldn’t get caught, when I heard the front door slam. Seconds later, my bedroom door burst open.

  
Mum’s eyes were frantic as she shook me. She rubbed a smear of blood from her nostril with the back of her hand. “Come on, Bobs, get up. Quick, you’ve got to be quick.”

  
She grabbed my smelly sports rucksack and started pulling my drawers open, shoving handfuls of clothes into the bag.

  
“Mum, what’s going on?” I clutched at her arm, frightened.

  
She dropped to her knees and put her hands on my shoulders. “It’s going to be alright, Bobby, I promise, but you have to do as I say and do it quickly, alright? Get your shoes and coat on. Pick some toys and books and put them in the bag, but only the ones you really like, okay?”

  
I nodded meekly, my whole body trembling. “Are we going on holiday?”

  
“Yeah, kind of. Come on, get packing, that’s a good boy. I’m going to grab some things from my room and then we’re leaving.”

  
It was even scarier when we left the house. Mum was rigid with tension, looking wildly up and down the streets as we scurried away. Every time the shadow of a person fell into view, she shrieked under her breath and pulled me down behind a wall until they were gone.

  
“Where’s Dad? Why isn’t he coming?” I asked as we pounded pavements, winding around the town I knew like the back of my hand, even in the inky darkness.

  
Mum stopped and held my hands, her breathing ragged from running. “Dad isn’t the same person any more, Bobby. It’s too dangerous for us at home, so we’re going somewhere else, just me and you. It’ll all be okay, I promise.”

  
It was okay, for a while. Mum had gotten in touch with a women’s shelter who helped to relocate us. It was a dingy old flat in Glasgow, a part of Scotland that we weren’t familiar with, but Mum bought sunshine yellow paint and we daubed it everywhere and I named the mice that would scurry across the floor and she let me sleep in her bed every night, even when I was sweaty and flailing with nightmares.

  
I went to a new school and started rebelling a bit, acting up like the class clown, and that made me popular. Mum got an office job and was happy for me to kick about with my mates for hours on end after school.

  
I came home from my best mate Johnny’s house one night and as I let myself in, I heard a man’s voice. My heart stopped in my chest. Mum had opened up to me a bit more about the things Dad had done, although I knew she was still protecting me from the worst, and I lived in fear of him coming after us.

  
I walked in with trepidation, the blood icy in my veins, but it wasn’t my Dad. A cheerful man with dark hair and a moustache, slightly on the larger side, sat at the kitchen table with Mum, sharing a bottle of red wine. She was laughing and she looked happier than I’d seen her look in ages.

  
“Oh, Bobby!” Mum looked startled as she realised I was there, her cheeks flushed. “I thought you were at Johnny’s?”

  
“It’s half ten, Mum.” I was hesitant to point that out, as my curfew was ten, but I reckoned I had more on her than she had on me. I eyed her companion pointedly.

  
“I’m Angelo,” he boomed in a jolly voice, extending his hand. “It’s good to meet you, Bobby.”  
I shook his hand gingerly, looking to Mum for an explanation.

  
She sighed, almost laughing at herself. “Angelo owns the restaurant next door to my office. We got talking one lunch time and we’ve become...friends.” They exchanged a small smile and my heart thumped.

  
I saw a lot more of Angelo after that. Of course, I pulled walls up around myself. To his credit, Angelo never pushed me or tried to overstep the mark. He remained warm and friendly, even when I ignored his questions about school and my friends and what I liked to do.

  
It was his cooking that got me in the end.

  
He’d come round every Sunday night when his restaurant was dying down after a busy weekend and whip up the most delicious dishes, heaped plates of pasta and aromatic meats that made my mouth water.

  
Eventually, I crept into the kitchen, my curiosity getting the better of me.

  
“Ah, Bobby! Come to see the master at work, have you?” Angelo laughed. “Here, boy, grab a spoon and get stirring.”

  
I started helping more and more, until Angelo began stepping back and letting me run the show. He let me make mistakes and never criticized, just gently showed me where I had gone wrong and how to correct it for the next time.

  
“Some of the best dishes in the world came from mistakes in the kitchen, Bobby. One of the best parts of cooking is being able to experiment!”

  
When I got older, Angelo gave me a job as an apprentice chef at his restaurant. I had never felt more at home shadowing the experienced cooks, watching how they worked, all of us running around the chaotic kitchen like headless chickens. I was in my element.

  
One night, as I was finishing up washing the dishes, Angelo joined me. We worked silently together until Angelo placed a hand on my shoulder.

  
“Bobby, I have a question to ask you, and I want you to know I will respect your answer. You have welcomed me into your home, but I want us to be a family. A real family. I want to ask your mother to marry me, but I need your permission first. Will you honour an old man his greatest wish?”

  
I was stunned. It meant everything that he had asked me, instead of just going ahead and doing it. I had worried for so long that he would turn on us, that something awful would happen like it had with my Dad, but as I looked into Angelo’s kind face, I knew finally that I could trust him.

My carefully constructed walls finally came down.

  
“Of course,” I stuttered, almost through tears. Angelo cheered and pulled me into a huge bear hug and we danced around the kitchen together, laughing.

  
Angelo and Mum got married and she joined the restaurant as his business partner, working on the accounts and making sure things ran shipshape. Angelo renamed the restaurant ‘ _Juliet’s_ ’, after Mum, and I worked my way up in the kitchen. We moved into Angelo’s big family home and our laughter filled the rooms.

  
Things were as close to perfect as they could possibly be. Dad was a distant memory. I was working hard in the kitchen and meeting up with Johnny and the lads in my spare time and acting the fool in clubs and pubs. Girls were still a bit of a mystery and I was forever the friend, but it didn’t bother me.

  
I had a rare Saturday night off one weekend and I was ruffling my fingers through my hair, about to head out for the night when my mobile rang.

  
“Bobby.” Mum’s voice was breathless, panic stricken. “You have to come to the hospital. It’s Angelo, he’s had a heart attack.”

  
When I got there, I ran down the corridors so frantically that I kept tripping over my own feet. I found Mum in a waiting room and we clung to each other, neither of us speaking a word.

  
Eventually a doctor came and told us that Angelo was stable, but still in a critical condition. We rushed to him and Mum fell into a chair at his bedside and didn’t leave, holding his hand and humming their wedding song under her breath.

  
I visited every night after work and Angelo started recovering enough to sit up for small periods and talk to us. One night, he urged Mum away from his side to the hospital cafe to grab us all something to eat, shaking his head when I offered to go.

  
He beckoned me over and put his big hand over mine.

  
“Bobby,” he wheezed, pulling his oxygen mask away from his face. “I am as proud of you as if you were my own son. I could not have wished for a better family than you and your mother. Promise me two things: that you will always look after her and you will keep the restaurant going.”

  
“Angelo, don’t talk like that. You aren’t going anywhere.”

  
He smiled ruefully. “I’ve enjoyed my food too much over the years. My weight isn’t on my side, amongst other things. There is a history of this in my family.” His fingers gripped mine tightly. “I just want you to remember always that I love you. You’re my boy.”

  
When he slipped away a few days later, so did our perfect family life. Mum sunk into a depression. The restaurant sunk even further without Angelo’s guidance. The chefs and waiters were kind and tried their best, but they had families to support. One by one they left, until I was practically running the place on my own. I placed adverts and took on rookies that didn’t know a whisk from a garlic press, and the restaurant struggled on miserably.

  
And here we were five years later, on the verge of losing everything. I couldn’t let that happen. I had made Angelo a promise that I intended to keep.

  
“I need to get to the restaurant, Mum. Johnny’s coming to help me repaint.” Johnny was a jack of all trades and had lifted some paint from a building site after I’d shared my bright idea of sprucing the restaurant up, The décor was stuck in the 80s and I knew we had to appeal to the trendy new generation that liked bare hanging lightbulbs and Instagrammable surroundings.

  
“That’s nice of him. All right, love, I’ll see you later on.”

  
I gave Mum a tight hug. “I’ll make it all right, Mum, you’ll see.”

-

“ _No_. Absolutely not. No way.”

  
I pushed Johnny’s phone away and stalked across the empty restaurant.

  
He grinned. “Come on, Bobby, it’s perfect! What’s the worst that could happen?”

  
“I thought you were coming to help me, not wind me up with stupid bloody ideas!”

  
“It’s not stupid! Look at all the contestants from last year, they’re coining it in! You’d be perfect, you’re hilarious, everyone says you should be on the telly. Come on, Bobby, there’s no harm in applying. We can do it now and get the video sent off!”

  
I huffed, returning to the booth we’d been sitting in when Johnny had unlocked his phone and shown me the advert for Love Island 2019 applicants. Specifically, the mention of the £50,000 prize money. Johnny was my best mate and knew about our money problems. I couldn’t deny that 50 grand would go a hell of a long way towards sorting us out, but the thought of entering a dating show made my stomach churn unpleasantly.

  
“I never pull girls, you know that,” I sighed. “I reside permanently in the friend zone. The guys on that show, they’re all tanks. Tanks with the chat. I have neither.”

  
“Agreed on both points, but why not just give it a try? Tim was small and funny and look at him now, DJing all over the world with an unreal girlfriend.”

  
“I don’t _want_ a girlfriend. You know how I feel about relationships.”

  
“You don’t have to _really_ get a girlfriend. You just have to pretend convincingly enough to walk out with fifty smackers at the end. Come on, Bobby, you know you want to give it a bash.”

  
Johnny had persuaded me into all sorts of mental escapades over the years, some of which had ended in ditches and police cells, so I could be forgiven for doubting this particular harebrained scheme.

  
I thought about Angelo. I thought about Mum. I thought about losing _Juliet’s_ forever.

  
“Alright,” I heard myself say. “Get the camera out. And make sure you get my good side.”

  
“You don’t have one!”

  
I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue. _Here goes nothing_...


	2. The Beginning Of It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against all odds, Bobby has made it to the Love Island villa, but will he stand out from the competition and make the right impression - with the right person?

-

“Bobby, mate, I already like you and everything but can you stop fidgeting? You’re making me nervous.”

I made a concentrated effort to stop shuffling my feet in the soft grass and balled my hands into fists by my side, smiling apologetically at Gary.

“Sorry, chief. I just feel like a calf lining up for the slaughter.”

“Speak for yourself,” Rocco smirked confidently. “I can’t wait to meet these girls.”

I exhaled sharply, digging my nails into my palms in an effort to stop my hands shaking. For about the hundredth time that morning, I looked around at the villa in utter disbelief.

Against the odds, I’d made it. Out of thousands of applicants, my daft audition tape had sailed through and somehow I’d smashed every subsequent interview. Of course, I hadn’t let on about my true intentions – to blag my way through a fake summer romance and swipe the prize money. According to the producers, I was a fresh faced, comical chef on a journey to find his first true love.

And now I stood in the baking sun alongside the four lads I was about to share my summer with, dread pooling in my veins as I ran over the same questions I’d been pummelling Johnny with constantly before I flew out to Spain.

“What if I don’t like any of them? What if they can tell I’m faking it? What if I get knocked out after the first recoupling and-”  
  


“Bobby, cool it. You need to fake it ‘til you make it, mate. Don’t hedge your bets on one girl, you need to get in with as many as you can so you’ve always got someone to fall back on.”

I looked around at Gary, Noah, Rahim and Rocco. I’d been so preoccupied with worry about the girls that I hadn’t even considered how to approach the competition – and it was terrifyingly strong. They were all bigger, taller, musclier – the type of lads who had girls coming up to _them_ in clubs, instead of the other way round.

_Get them on side_. I thought to myself. _Then they’re less likely to cross you – and suspect you of crossing them_.

“Alright, lads, here we go!”

Gary’s shout of delight came as one of the producers nodded to us to signal the impending arrival of the first girl and my heart dropped to my feet.

_This is it_ , I thought to myself. _The beginning of it all_.

The silence was palpable as the five of us held our breath, all staring at the door that led from the bedrooms out to the lawn. There was a rattle as the door handle turned and as the first girl stepped out, I almost passed out there and then from lack of oxygen.

She was absolutely gorgeous, the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen in person. It was as if she’d been peeled from the pages of a glossy magazine and brought to life with fairy dust.

Her hair blew gently behind her like a halo as she approached us. Gary let out a low whistle and Rocco clapped his hands together gleefully.

“Hi, boys. I’m Sophie,” she grinned, waving a tanned arm that jangled with glittering bangles. Her eyes met mine and I had to remind myself to breathe.

_I am absolutely done for. Someone get me back on that bloody plane._

I forced myself to smile, feeling like a puppeteer managing the strings from behind the scenes. Brain and body were going to have to be firmly separated from now on if I had any chance of getting through this unscathed.

A producer introduced Sophie as a 22-year-old charity worker who dedicated her time to conserving tropical rainforests and protecting wild animals from poachers.

_They really expect me to steal 50 grand out from under somebody who would probably use it to save baby elephants from starvation, don’t they. Great, just great._

Sophie approached Gary, the first in line, and smiled. He matched her confidence as he grinned back, clearly delighted with what he saw.

“Alright? I’m Gary.” He subtly flexed his bicep and Sophie grinned amusedly.

Noah had an undeniable sparkle in his eye as she moved on to him, but said nothing. Sophie mouthed a little ‘hey’ under her breath and he blushed, clearly trying hard to remain aloof.

Rocco was full of charm, kissing her hand and pulling what I guessed he imagined was a seductive smile, but looked more like he was trying to hold in a particularly aggressive fart.

Next, I watched Rahim nervously crack a golf joke, wondering if anybody else could hear my heart thumping wildly to the Jumanji drum beat.

After what felt like an achingly long amount of time, but was really about thirty seconds, Sophie glided over to me. Her eyes drifted over my body and I deeply regretted turning down Johnny’s many offers to get me started on the weights at our local gym.

“Hey gorgeous,” I smiled. “Saving the best ‘til last, were you?”

I had to stop myself from looking around to see who had come out with such a smooth line. Luckily, Sophie didn’t seem to notice, bursting out into a giggle that would put bird song to shame.

“Are you saying you’re better than these other guys?” She hitched an eyebrow.

“Maybe you should pick me and find out.”

_Nailed it_.

Sophie grinned and stepped back to her place. “Okay, now I get to see what kind of impression I’ve made.”

We’d already been clued up on having to step forward if we liked the look of a girl and Rocco was taking no prisoners, practically sprinting toward Sophie to demonstrate his eagerness.

Gary took a confident step, Rahim following in hot pursuit. Noah looked around helplessly, then shuffled ever so slightly forward, a move that would have been imperceptible if you weren’t looking at him, and I realised Sophie wasn’t.

She was looking right at me.

Despite wanting to slide on my knees across the grass screaming _pick me, pick me_ , I knew I had to keep my head. I made out like I was debating it a bit, then shrugged as if to say, _may as well give it a go_ and took a lazy step forward.

Sophie smiled indulgently then cast an eye around the line up. “I know who I like the look of, but I wonder what you all liked about me. Rocco, how about you?”

As Rocco droned on about intense auras and spiritual connections, I could swear I saw Sophie ever so slightly roll her eyes.

“Gary, how about you?”

She was clearly far keener to hear what Gary had to say about her and I felt my stomach twist a little. Pipped at the first post. Still, she was only the first girl to step out. I still had four more opportunities to impress.

“Um, Earth to Bobby?”

I snapped out of my internal monologue to find everyone peering at me and realised Sophie had moved from Gary to Rahim and was now waiting expectantly for my answer.

She had skipped past Noah, obviously not registering that he had stepped forward - and he clearly wasn't going to correct her, but that wasn't my problem to worry about. Figuring out what I going to say, unprepared, in a split second was my primary concern.

“Well, you seem like the kind of girl who doesn’t take herself too seriously. I rate that. Don’t want the competition when we’re standing next to each other, you know.”

Johnny had dutifully been schooling me on how to reel a girl in and apparently backhanded compliments were an essential in the toolkit, a piece of advice I’d taken with a large pinch of salt at the time, but what was the harm in trying it here?

Sophie, while still smiling, didn’t look overly impressed.

“Just kidding,” I backtracked a little, masking my nerves with a chuckle. “You know, if you pick me, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bedroom.”

“And in it!” Gary quipped, and I made a mental note to push him in the pool later.

“Okay, thanks guys. I guess I have to make my choice, so the boy I’d like to start the summer with is...Bobby.”

_Did she say Bobby? Or was she putting on a funny voice and actually said Gary? Maybe she was talking about who she’d want to couple with least? Oh my God, she’s walking towards me and everyone is looking at me…_

“Wow, thanks for picking me,” I grinned as Sophie approached, sounding far cooler than I felt. Inside, I was a quivering mess. “Can’t believe I’m the first boy picked.”

“Well played, Bobby,” Rahim grinned. Gary and Rocco both looked disappointed, but turned hopefully toward the door to await the next arrival. Poor Noah’s face was a cross between chewing a wasp and violent nausea.

Sophie was beaming as she fell into place beside me. She smelled absolutely amazing and I had to strongly resist the urge not to sniff her hair as I leaned over to her.

“Hi, by the way,” I whispered. “This isn’t how I usually meet people, but I have to say, I’m loving it so far.”

“Tell me about it,” Sophie murmured excitedly. She looked up and directly into my eyes and my heart skipped a beat. “You really caught my eye, Bobby. Something tells me we’re about to have a very fun summer together.”

_If only you knew, Sophie. If only you knew..._


	3. Unprepared

-

The second girl had strutted out of the villa in a whirlwind of hair dye and tattoos, introducing herself in a distinct Aussie twang as Lottie.

She prowled along the line of lads like a lioness about to ensnare her prey. I bumped Sophie’s hip with mine.

“I already know I don’t want to get on her bad side,” I whispered and she giggled, admonishing me with a finger on her lips.

Lottie finished her hunt and stood with her hands on her hips, waiting expectantly and pouting sulkily when only Rocco slunk forward.

“Not gonna lie, I really wanted to see this guy step forward.” She pointed at me with a long, inky black fingernail and smirked. My jaw dropped so low it tickled the blades of grass. “But I’m glad he didn’t. I’m not about to steal someone else’s guy – even if Sophie thinks she might.”

I gasped theatrically. Sophie shot me a death stare and threw a saccharine smile toward Lottie, who narrowed her eyes in return as she fell into place next to Rocco.

“Wow, you really said that? Ruthless, Sophie, utterly ruthless.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, pushing my arm playfully. “She made a huge deal out of putting the girls first all the time and I simply said that would be difficult with the boys thrown into the mix. I’m here to make friends too, but not at my own expense.”

“If you don’t have your own back, who else will?” I smiled.

Sophie’s eyes lit up and she placed her hand on my arm. “I’m so glad you get it.” She turned to watch the door open again and I felt a tingle on the skin that she’d touched.

_Get it together, Bobby. Don’t be your own downfall._

Three more girls made our group for the summer into ten. As we stood in line, I took a serious look at the competition.

Rocco and Lottie weren’t a remote concern. His eyes had roved over every girl that had walked out and Lottie evidently had an agenda against other women, which wouldn’t work in her favour.

Rahim had been chosen by the feisty, mysterious Marisol. As individuals, they were to be reckoned with, but as a coupling they just didn’t seem to fit. I crossed them off my mental list.

Gary wasn’t a threat in his couple – he and the sweetly shy Hannah were way too polar opposite to be a decent match – but I was already acutely aware of how despondent he had looked when Sophie didn’t pick him, and the furtive glances he’d been throwing in her direction since.

Then there was Noah and Hope, who had power walked out of the villa like a woman on a mission and made a beeline straight towards him. Hope radiated confidence and it was already clear that she was envisioning herself as the boss of the villa, with Noah tagging along as her lapdog. I ranked them as our highest competition.

“Hey, want to go somewhere quiet for a minute?” Sophie smiled shyly up at me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

_Did she have to be so fucking beautiful?_

“You don’t need to ask me twice,” I grinned, slipping my hand into hers and letting her lead me toward the invitingly comfy looking beanbags. I surveyed the villa, hardly able to believe that I had actually made it. “This is just amazing, right?”

“It’s a total dream,” Sophie agreed, tipping her head back, her eyes closed as the sun glittered on her skin.

I watched her, wondering how the hell I’d managed to impress this wondrous creature when I struggled to even say hello to girls back home.

_Because she doesn’t like you. She likes the person you’re pretending to be._

“Did you drag me over here for an afternoon nap, or was there something you wanted to say?” I joked.

Sophie laughed, her eyes remaining closed. “I thought I’d lure you into a false sense of security before I started firing questions at you.” Her eyes flickered open and she grinned at me as she hitched herself up onto her elbows. “Foiled again.”

I wiggled my fingers together. “Abolishing evil master plans is my speciality.”

“I guess you won’t be helping me take over the world any time soon, then.” She eyed me expectantly. “So, Bobby, are you happy I picked you?”

“Is the Pope a Catholic?” I blurted before I could stop myself.

She laughed. “Last time I checked. Okay, enlighten me, what made you sign up to Love Island?”

_Well,_ _Sophie_ _, my dead stepdad’s restaurant has more cobwebs than punters and_ _I have to take cold showers in the dark every night_ _but it’s better than the alternative of having literally no house, which isn’t far off,_ _so the prize money looked pretty enticing..._

“To find love, of course. I know it’s hard to believe, but I’ve never had a proper girlfriend before.”

She leaned forward, intrigued. “Out of choice?”

_Lack of it, more like._

“I’ve had trouble seeing anyone as more than a friend. Here’s hoping that will change.” I pinned her with a look. “I’m feeling pretty positive about that already.”

She bit her lip as she smiled to herself. “Me too.”

-

There was a buzz of excitement in the air as we all congregated together at the firepit, a game of Truth or Dare in full swing.

Sophie had just stepped up to the plate for her first turn, looking nervous and excited in equal measures.

“You seem like a lot of fun, Sophie,” Rocco drawled as he spoke directly to her chest. “I think you should pick dare.”

Lottie’s nostrils flared and she curled her fingers around Rocco’s arm in a vice grip.

“I think truth is the really brave option,” Ibrahim offered quietly.

“What can I say, I’m a girl who likes a challenge. Got to be dare for me.”

Sophie slipped a card from the pile. “Okay, I have to send a selfie to the hottest Islander.”

She scurried to the edge of the firepit, turning her back to us as she snapped a picture. Both Lottie and Hope were fixated on their partner’s phones, looking ready to pounce.

“Done!” Sophie chorused, hitting her send button as she rejoined us.

I felt a wash of relief as my phone pinged and a super cute photo of Sophie grinning and doing the peace sign popped up on my screen.

“Nice one,” I nodded. “My new screensaver.”

“Awww, you two are super cute,” Hannah chirruped as Sophie took her seat next to me and I slung my arm over her shoulder.

I hoped I was playing it right so far. Sophie was so unbelievably attractive and our chemistry was undeniable, which was making my life much easier. As long as the viewers got a natural vibe and the impression that I was just a happy go lucky romantic falling for his ‘perfect girl’, this was going to be easy going.

“I think it should be Bobby’s turn,” Marisol chimed, shooting a knowing smile at Sophie.

I flexed my fingers and jumped up, heading straight for the dare pile. A slow smile spread over my face as I turned over my card.

“Kiss the Islander you fancy most. Well, you’re all straight tens, ladies, but this one’s a no brainer.”

I walked up to Sophie, trying to ignore my heart thudding and my sweating palms as I leaned down and drew close to her lips.

She closed the distance between us, her hair falling forward like a silk curtain, concealing us. Everyone and everything else fell away as our lips met. It was the perfect first kiss, soft and effortless but with a hint of passion, so that I felt almost empty when she pulled away.

Everyone cheered behind us and we blushed, smiling shyly at each other.

As I returned to my seat, Sophie slipped her hand around my arm and leaned her head against me.

“That was nice,” she murmured into my shoulder, placing a soft kiss upon my arm. I could feel her smiling, like magic against my skin.

I looked ahead, not really seeing, wondering how the hell I was going to fix this before it got too far.

_She’s just a means to an end. You can’t fall for her. That’s not why you’re here._

“Plenty more where that came from,” I winked as I delicately extracted my arm, hating myself as I did so.

_Eyes on the prize, Bobby. Nothing else matters._

Except she was already starting to.


	4. Whirlwind

-

Tiles flashed in front of my eyes as I paced around the pool for the third time, my fists clenched as my heart hammered inside my rib cage.

_This can’t be happening_.

Ever since the text had arrived announcing the surprise arrival of another Islander at our welcome party tonight, I’d been a complete mess inside my own head.

I’d just about managed to outwardly hold myself together around Sophie, but the moment she skipped off with the other girls to get dressed up, I’d fallen apart.

_What if it’s some amazing guy and he’s exactly her type? What if everyone else is totally hitting it off and I’m left on my own and nobody chooses me?_

_If I go out this early, there’ll be no money and we’re back to square one. If I go out this early, it’s all been for nothing…_

A shadow fell over my feet and I ground to a halt, looking up at Noah, solemn and stoic as he towered over me.

“Let’s go somewhere and have a chat.”

It was a command, not a question, but he smiled kindly and I followed him gratefully.

I slumped down on the seats at the firepit, gnawing at the skin around my thumb. Noah shot me a look that I’d guessed had been honed to perfection after years of reprimanding noisy teenagers in the library. I dropped my hand.

“Okay,” he nodded approvingly. “Now talk.”

“I’m alright, mate. I’m just being daft.”

Noah rolled his eyes amusedly. “There’s being daft, then there’s circling the pool muttering to yourself like an old drunk. I’m guessing that text has thrown you for six?”

I nodded, still reluctant to open up. It wasn’t like I could tell Noah exactly what the big deal was.

“Look, Bobby, none of us want to be the first one to go, but it is what it is. They always throw in a twist like this. You and Soph’ seem to have really hit it off. You’ll be fine.”

“I’m not counting on it,” I muttered irritably.

I was aware I was acting like a petulant child, but this was my opportunity to change my life, to fix everything for Mum, to make it right – and the thought of it slipping through my fingers was nothing short of terrifying.

“You also aren’t considering the other option.” Noah raised an eyebrow pointedly.

“A sixth girl?” I scoffed a laugh. “Yeah, mate, I’m not that lucky.”

“I’d say you’ve probably had the luckiest day of your life so far today. What’s to say it won’t continue?”

I looked up at him and managed a smile. “I didn’t pin you as the philosophical type. I guess I underestimated you.”

“It’s been known to happen,” Noah grinned. He clapped me on the shoulder and got to his feet. “Better start getting ready for the party. I’ll see you inside.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a bit. Hey, Noah?”

“Yeah?” He turned back.

“Thank you.”

-

_Thank the lord for beer._

I tipped the plastic cup to my lips, trying to pass off my nervous shuffle from foot to foot as moving to the beat of the music.

Gary swooped an arm around my shoulder as I drank and the liquid shot out of my mouth like a tsunami. My face turned puce as I choked, Gary thumping me so hard between my shoulder blades that I kept falling forward.

“Sorry, Bobby, mate,” he said apologetically, hooking his hand under my elbow to steady me. “I just wanted to get the lads into a huddle before the girls get here.”

“S’alright, mate,” I squeaked between breaths. “It’s all good.”

“Right, come on, lads! The wolf pack right here,” Gary grinned as we all formed a circle. “You’re all sound, the girls are gorgeous and this is gonna be the best summer of our lives! To the boys!”

“The boys!” We echoed, crashing our drinks together and baying like a pack of hyenas. I couldn’t deny it, it felt good to feel like I was in there with the lads already and my mood lifted considerably.

“I can’t wait to see how hot Sophie looks,” I smirked once we finished jumping around like lunatics.

“You won’t have to wait too long,” Rahim laughed awkwardly, his eyes darting behind me.

“Hope I don’t disappoint,” Sophie smiled as she walked over to me, her eyes glittering wickedly.

“N-no,” I stammered, the blush rising in my cheeks. “You look…” My words tailed off as I drank her in properly. I shook my head in awe. “You can’t be real.”

She laughed. “I guess you’ll have to pinch me and find out.” She offered out her arm.

“I can think of a better test.”

Before I could control it, before I even knew what I was doing, I pulled her toward me. She crashed into my chest, her eyes searching mine. I took a deep breath and slid my hand through her soft hair to cup the back of her head, then drew her lips toward mine.

She gasped against my lips as I kissed her, then curled her fingers into the fabric of my shirt at my collarbones, pushing her mouth against mine urgently. As before, everything else faded away, unimportant, only her and I in the world.

_Is this Heaven, or is it Hell?_

When we drew apart, we both broke into nervous laughter. I hauled her back into me, hugging her tightly and kissing her temple as I beamed like an idiot.

“What are you doing to me?” I demanded. “I’m never like this.”

“Love potion in your water bottle,” she offered, grinning cheekily as she pulled me toward the makeshift dancefloor that had been set up on the lawn.

“Ah, that old trick. Makes sense now,” I smiled, twirling her under my arm as we joined the rest of the group.

All of my previous stress and apprehension melted away as we danced, looping like idiots through the other Islanders, all of us laughing together. For the first time in a very, very long time, I just let myself go and enjoy the moment for what it was.

Then my phone beeped.

“Islanders, please make your way to the firepit to greet your new arrival,” I read out shakily, feeling total despair flood back into my veins as everyone exchanged nervous glances and started heading off to the firepit.

Sophie slipped her hand into mine. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered encouragingly. “Lets go.”

I inhaled deeply as we reached the firepit. Sophie stood determinedly beside me as we all looked around at each other, then at the floor.

The sound of a door opening behind us made my stomach flip. Sophie squeezed my fingers tightly.

Then I turned around, and everything fell apart.

“ _Priya_?”


	5. A New Arrival

-

“ _Bobby?_ Oh my gosh, it really is you! This is _crazy_.”

Priya was laughing as she ran up to me, almost knocking me off my feet as she swept me up in a hug. I squeezed her back tightly, an inexplicable tightness forming in my throat as I realised she still wore the same perfume.

My head was spinning as we broke apart. “I..I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I’m guessing you two know each other?” Hope demanded as she marched over, her steely gaze switching between us.

“Something like that,” Priya said softly, her dark eyes locked onto mine.

I opened and closed my mouth like a goldfish, totally floored with the distinct feeling that time was both standing still and hurtling past at a million miles an hour at the same time.

“Isn’t that the strangest thing?” Hope continued, her eyebrows narrowed in suspicion.

“Almost like we planned it.” Priya replied, an inexplicable look flashing over her face.

“Well, I’m sure we’ll find out all about it when we have a girls talk, right?” Hope smiled like a shark bearing its teeth and not so gently shoved me away. Marisol, Lottie and Hannah followed like lapdogs, forming a tight little circle around Priya that I didn’t even try to intercept.

I felt a gentle graze on my elbow and looked blearily as Sophie drifted past me, smiling. I watched her approach Priya, feeling like I was in a strange dream as they hugged and started chatting to one another effortlessly.

_This can’t be real. Someone wake me up before I go insane._

“Okay, spill,” Gary’s low voice in my ear made me jump.

The boys were all looking at me expectantly as we shuffled into our own little group away from the girls.

I sighed. “Imagine the one girl you absolutely can’t have romantic feelings for because it crosses the worst line possible.”

“Your second cousin?” Rocco suggested. We all stared at him. “ _What_?”

Rahim gasped as it dawned on him. “ _Mate_. Do you, though? Have feelings for her?”

_I’ve dreamed about her more nights than I count. I’ve cried over her even more than that._ _I have a million feelings for her and they all fucking hurt._

“Can someone catch me up, because I’m not getting it,” Gary frowned before I could answer.

“She’s his best mate’s ex,” Rahim said, looking at me for confirmation.

I nodded, feeling nauseous. Gary let out a low whistle and Noah patted me gently on the back.

“Well ex is the operative word here, no? Fair game I’d say,” Rocco shrugged. Again, we all stared at him. “ _What_?”

“I guess the important thing is, how do you feel seeing her? And does it change how you feel about Sophie?”

Noah’s question hung in the air as I realised I didn’t even know where to begin in answering it.

“Honestly, lads, I think I need a minute to myself.”

My head was spinning uncontrollably as I stumbled to the roof terrace. I’d spent months psyching myself up for this, hashing over my game plan, sweating in my sleep over every little detail, how to maximize my chances of winning. I’d convinced myself that nobody would want me as I waited in the line up and a producer would shake their head and send me back off to the Jeep before I even got a taste of what could have been.

But _she_ had wanted me. Sophie. The most stunning girl I’d seen, so effortlessly cool yet sweet natured with a cracking sense of humour.

She was everything I’d want in a girl. With her, getting to the final would be a piece of cake.

But now Priya was here.

And that changed everything.

“I know this must be a shock for you, Bobby, but you didn’t have to run away.”

I jumped as Priya came up behind me, an amused smirk playing about her lips. She pushed herself up against me and for one crazy, dazzling moment I thought she was going to kiss me.

Instead, I heard a click as she switched my mic pack off, then did the same to her own.

I felt clouded in confusion. “You can’t do that. It’s against the rules.”

She laughed and it sounded off. “Oh, Bobby. I don’t play by the rules. Sit.”

She indicated the cushion next to her with a tap of her long, menacing looking nails. My heart was in my throat as I perched gingerly beside her.

She lifted her hand and stroked my face gently. “It’s so good to see you, Bobby. I was so sad when Johnny and I broke up because it meant I lost you, too. But now we’re here, together, and I really think you can help me with something.”

Her voice was intoxicating in its sweetness, drawing me in, even as I sensed something underlying in it, something not quite right.

_Focus, Bobby. Remember who she is and why you can never have her._

“W-what’s that, then?”

As quickly as it had come, the smile disappeared off her face, replaced by a cold look that took the beauty out of her features.

“I know why you’re here, Bobby. Johnny told me everything. So if you want to keep your little secret, you need to do exactly as I say from now on, understand?”

My vision went hazy as the blood pumped manically around my veins.

_What the fuck is happening?_

“You know, Bobby, we’re not so different, you and I.” She’d switched her strange smile back on. “I came here to win, too. I’m sick of showing rich old folks around houses I can’t afford. This show will make me famous. If we work together, we can walk out of here as the winners. You can even take the money. I get the life I deserve, you get to save your little restaurant.”

She ran a nail along my neck and I lost the ability to breathe.

“Of course, you can refuse, but I’m not so sure the producers will be too happy for you to stay once they find out you’re only in it for the money.” She pulled an over-exaggerated pout. “Poor Sophie, too. I had a _lovely_ chat with her downstairs, such a _nice_ girl. She’s very taken with you. Must be a nice change for you, hm? Poor thing, always the friend, never the boyfriend.”

She smiled wickedly, running a thumb over my lips. Her breath was hot on my ear. “You’ve always wanted me, Bobby. It was written all over your face every time the three of us were together. Well, now is your chance. You can live out your fantasy _and_ solve all of your money worries. It’s a win-win, don’t you think?”

“What about Johnny?” I asked quietly.

“Oh dear. I do so hate to come between friends, but sometimes the reward is far greater than the risk. He was _so_ worried about you and your family. I’m sure he’ll understand you were simply doing what you had to do to help them.”

“So you planned this? Who _are_ you?” I whispered. “Because this isn’t the Priya I know.”

Priya laughed nastily. “You never knew me, Bobby, you just put me on a pedestal and made me out to be this perfect, unattainable girl. But now, you can have everything you want.” She suddenly pushed me away and studied her nails intently. “Or not. It’s your choice. I can only imagine what it would do to your poor Mum to see you kicked off the show, a penniless con man. The shame it would bring her. Hasn’t she suffered enough? You’re doing this for her, after all. You do want to make it all better, don’t you, Bobby?”

I didn’t get the chance to answer. A producer strode out onto the terrace and read us the riot act on switching off our mics. Priya acted like a dutifully chastised school girl, apologizing profusely. I couldn’t even think straight.

Priya made to follow the producer back to the party as we’d been instructed, but before she left she turned in the doorway.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Bobby. I’ll be waiting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is going to be controversial! I always felt like Priya had great potential as a villain and I really wanted to explore that side of her in a fic and this presented the perfect opportunity. All comments, kind and constructive, are welcome and thanks for reading! I'm loving this wild ride so far and I hope you are too.


	6. The Angel and The Devil

_-_

_One more kiss could be the best thing,  
But one more lie could be the worst,  
And all these thoughts are never resting,  
And you’re not something I deserve._  
Let Me Go – 3 Doors Down

I sat alone on one of the daybeds, my head in hands, feeling utterly lost and in despair.

The entire altercation with Priya on the terrace still felt like something out of a crazy nightmare, and I could only let myself believe it was true because she’d spent the remainder of the party throwing me cold looks when nobody else could see.

Sophie had kept her distance, throwing me a smile that indicated I could talk to her if I wanted to, but I was so scared of Priya intervening that I stayed away, keeping to myself.

I had tried to act like I was having fun, but my heart just wasn’t in it. I felt sad, scared, like I never should’ve come here.

The party was winding down and I prayed that none of the Islanders would stop to check on me as they sloped off to bed, because an ounce of kindness was going to break me. Luckily, they all seemed caught up in their couples, heads tilted and secret smiles shared as they no doubt discussed hopping into bed together so soon.

Priya sauntered past, throwing me a smirk as she did so and mouthing, ‘ _Tomorrow_.’

I flopped back and looked up at the stars, wishing on every single one that Angelo hadn’t died, that we were all at the dinner table together eating and laughing, back when it was all perfect.

“Oh, Bobby. Don’t cry.”

Sophie’s voice was soft as she slipped into the sheets, curling up next to me and tenderly wiping away the tears that were running down my cheeks. I turned in to her, burying my head in her shoulder and crying, needing the comfort, even though I knew it wasn’t to last.

Sophie stroked my hair, my back, and I melted into her. I hadn’t been soothed like this since I was really little, and I hadn’t realised how much pain I’d been holding in, how much I’d needed to be comforted. The fear of what was to come and what had been in the past, the grief, the loneliness at bearing the weight of all our problems spilled out and Sophie lifted the burden from me, just for a little while, and it was everything I hadn’t known I’d needed until that moment.

“Sorry,” I mumbled after what felt like an age, realising that I’d effectively just broken down on someone I’d known for less than a day. Embarrassment crept in and I broke away, wiping my eyes forcefully. “Just been a bit of a weird day.”

“Don’t apologise. We’ve all liked somebody we shouldn’t have at one time or another. It was obviously a huge shock for you to see her here.”

“She told you?” I frowned.

“She explained how the two of you met on a school trip and that she’d been dating your best friend long distance for years since but they’d recently broken up. I just put two and two together on my own, judging by how much your mood switched since you talked to her. I can’t blame you, I mean, she’s absolutely gorgeous…” She tailed off, biting her thumb nervously. “Look, Bobby, I don’t want you to think you owe me anything because we coupled up this morning. It’s only day one and if you’ve got history that you need to hash out, or if there’s feelings there that you want to explore, I’m not going to stand in your way or get mad about it. I’m still here for you, though, if you need me.”

_I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you._

“Thanks, Sophie,” I smiled tightly, trying to stop another wave of tears. “I’m sorry about all of this. I thought the first day would be all about margaritas and hot girls. I forgot to bank on the drama.”

She laughed. “It’s kind of what you signed up for. I get you, though. I hate getting caught up in awkward situations. I’m more of a fixer.”

Gently, I put my hand over hers. “I know what that’s like, and sometimes, the fixer needs fixing too. As you’ve just witnessed in great, dramatic detail.”

She giggled and I felt myself smiling at how lovely the sound was, at how much I liked making her laugh.

“What I’m trying to say is, I’m here for you too. This whole thing with Priya is all a bit...crazy, at the moment, and I don’t want to string you along while I work it out, because that’s not fair. But I really, really like you, Sophie. You’ve had my head in a spin since you stepped through the door and that’s not something that happens often. Pretty much never, in fact.”

_Just once before. And look where that’s got me._

I sighed. “It just wouldn’t be right to-”

“Bobby, it’s okay.” Sophie cut me off. “I know a break up chat when I hear one. Not that we’re breaking up, it’s not even been a day, I just mean…” Sophie tailed off, flustered, and we both laughed despite ourselves. She blew out sharply and pulled her shoulders back to regain her composure. She held out her hand. “Friends?”

_Always the friend, never the boyfriend_.

_And it’s all my own fucking fault._

“You’re not the kind of girl I can just be friends with. But I won’t mess you around, I swear.” Even as I spoke, my eyes were drawn to her soft, full lips and I had to fight the urge inside me to wrap her around me and kiss her until I couldn’t breathe, until there were stars in my eyes, until all of this pain and misery disappeared and we were all that was left.

As if she could read my mind, Sophie placed a hand against my cheek and drew me toward her. The kiss she placed against my lips was gentle, tender, reminding me of how differently this night could have gone.

Sophie smiled sadly as she pulled away from our kiss. “I was starting to like this.”

“Me too. I really am sorry, Sophie.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be. And you better not tiptoe around me because of this, or I’ll have to dunk you in the pool. It’s just one of those things that can’t be helped.”

“What if I’m trying to scare you and I need to be really, really quiet?”

She giggled. “Then I’m definitely dunking you in the pool.”

I grinned. I took her hand and kissed it. “You’re one of a kind, Sophie. I know things have gone a bit…sideways, but I feel really lucky that I met you today.”

She smiled softly and climbed out of the daybed. She looked back at me over her shoulder and I knew then that I would always remember this moment, how beautiful she looked as her hair danced in the wind, how much I realised she was someone I really, truly could have fallen for – and how much it hurt to know I’d thrown away my chance with her.

“Goodnight, Bobby.”

“Sleep well, Sophie.”

-

The daybed creaked, dipping in as someone dropped onto it and I snapped my eyes open, painfully aware of how much my head was splitting as the morning sunlight bore against my vision.

Priya was staring at me, her body snapped into a ridiculously sexy swimsuit, and for a moment I thought I was in the middle of one of my 16-year-old fantasies about her.

Then I remembered.

“Sleep well?” She didn’t wait for me to answer. “I know poor Sophie didn’t. How humiliating for her, having to stay in there all on her own. Everyone’s talking about it this morning.”

My stomach flipped guiltily. I didn’t want Sophie to be the subject of idle gossip when she was supposed to be settling in and finding her feet.

Priya trailed a finger in circles over my chest, smiling sweetly. “I hoped we could have that talk after breakfast. Somewhere private.” She dug her nail in sharply, her eyes darkening briefly, then she rose, pasting the sickly simper back onto her face.

“See you soon, Bobby.”

I realised this was all part of her gameplay – she was going to have to act nicely in front of the cameras, and everybody else, so she didn’t raise suspicion.

_She can’t switch our mics off every time she wants to talk. She’s going to have to be crafty – and that means more chances for her to slip up._

The thought calmed me for a split second, then panic kicked in. If Priya messed up, I could bet my bottom dollar she was dragging me down with her.

I looked over at the kitchen. Priya was laughing with Rahim and Gary, both of them slyly checking her out as she moved around brewing coffee and making toast.

_So they’re under her spell already. Figures._

Sighing, I pushed myself off the daybed and marched over.

“Lets talk.”

Priya looked up in surprise, quickly masked as she shot looks at Gary and Rahim. “My, my, someone is demanding of my attention this morning. Excuse me, boys.”

She took my arm, directing me toward the very front of the villa. As predicted, she cut our mics off again once we were alone.

“They’ll pull you up for that again,” I pointed out.

“As if I can’t talk my way out of it. All the sex starved, middle aged men working on this show are desperate to keep me around.” She turned to me. “So, what’s it to be, Bobby?”

“I-I’m with you. I’ll do what I have to do. Just...just leave Sophie alone, okay?”

Priya barked a laugh. “How precious. Don’t worry yourself about your little fancy girl, Bobby, I don’t need to do anything except pick you. Then it’ll be bye-bye, Sophie.”

My gut plummeted.

_How the fuck could I not have even considered that possibility?_

Sophie would be leaving, and it would all be because of me.

Priya noticed my downcast eyes and tilted my chin. “Oh, cheer up, Bobby. What’s a silly girl like her over fifty grand? She can’t save your restaurant – but we can, together.”

A slow confidence seeped into my bones and I looked Priya directly in the eyes. “I could out you. What’s stopping me from walking up to the producers right now and telling them all about this?”

Priya snorted derisively. “Don’t be stupid, Bobby. It would be your word against mine and really, who would believe you? I, on the other hand, have an alibi.”

I shook my head. “Johnny wouldn’t do that to me.”

“You’re sure about that, are you? Not even if he thinks you’ve already betrayed him first?”

Before I could work out what was happening, she flicked our mics back on and took my face in her hands.

“Oh, Bobby, I always had a feeling you liked me, but it’s so good to hear you finally say it. It’s what I’ve wanted to hear for so long.”

“W-Wh-” I stammered, but Priya got there first. She plunged her lips onto mine, pushing her tongue into my mouth. I rocked backward on my feet and she pressed me up against the wall, deepening the kiss.

“Don’t underestimate me, Bobby,” she whispered, light as feather but menacing as a snake, into my ear. “You’ll only regret it.”


	7. Wildest Dreams

_-_

_Nothing lasts forever,  
But this is gonna take me down.  
  
_Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift

-

_What the fuck is my life right now?_

I sat alone at the firepit, gnawing at my thumbnail as I watched the girls surround Priya on the lawn, a victorious smirk spreading across her face as she no doubt relayed my ‘confession’ to them. The only thing I felt remotely thankful for was Sophie’s absence from the harem, but my stomach dropped as I spotted her laughing with Gary, Rahim and Rocco in the kitchen.

_She has no idea that she’s going home soon. And it’s all my fault._

A shadow fell over me and I swiped my thumb behind my back.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” I forced myself to joke.

Noah sat down and looked directly at me. “I’ve just overheard the girls talking. Bobby, are you going there with Priya?”

I swallowed nervously.

_Not like I can turn back now. Johnny is already going to hate me._

_Guess it’s time to play the game._

“I am, mate. We just can’t shake off what’s there between us. It feels like fate that we’re here together, like maybe the universe is giving us a shot, you know?”

Noah shrugged non noncommittally but his lip curled in disdain. “I couldn’t do it to one of my boys, but I guess every situation is different. Have you spoken to Sophie about it?”

I nodded. “Last night. She was really chill about it.”

“I can imagine. She’s a lovely girl,” Noah said quietly, looking almost wistfully toward the kitchen.

We exchanged a look, both us of knowing he’d stepped forward yesterday and she hadn’t realised.

“Are you, er, interested in her?”

Noah shot me a look and I registered the silent message. His missed opportunity with Sophie was now our secret – but maybe it was a secret I could use to my advantage somewhere along the line.

“It’s a shame you couldn’t give it more time with Soph’. I really thought the two of you made a good match. I guess she’s not short of attention, though.”

Noah looked pointedly at Gary, who had his arms wrapped around Sophie’s waist under the covert disguise of helping her whisk an egg mixture. Sophie was laughing her head off as they were spattered with goop, grabbing a tea towel and rubbing right it in Gary’s face. We heard her yelp as he whipped it away from her and started chasing her around the lawn, both of them grinning wildly.

_Well, that fucking hurts._

“I guess not,” I replied through gritted teeth.

A beep rang out and my stomach churned as Priya drew herself up to her feet, tossing her hair as she called for our attention.

“Islanders, the time has come for Priya to choose a boy to couple up with. Please gather at the firepit.’

Gasps rippled as everyone drifted over, the girls forming a tightly linked chain as they whispered together. The boys looked definitively less worried, Rocco’s eyes sparkling with glee as he slumped down next to me.

Sophie and Gary wandered over together. She shot me a supportive smile as she sat down and I threw a grateful one back at her.

Priya strode over confidently, standing at the helm like the cat who’d got the cream.

“This wasn’t an easy decision. I’ve felt really welcomed by you all since I walked in yesterday, which made it more difficult knowing I’d have to take someone’s partner. But that’s the game, and I think you all know by now that there’s someone here who I have a lot of history with.”

Priya’s eyes met mine, and just for a moment, they flashed dangerously. She turned to Sophie and admittedly did a fantastic job of appearing guilty.

“You’ve been especially lovely, Sophie, and I’m really sorry to do this to you, but I have to follow my heart on this one. The boy I want to couple up with is Bobby.”

Rocco clapped my knee in a congratulatory fashion and I slowly got to my feet, forcing a grin on my face. I took Priya’s hand in mine and kissed it. She smiled at me like I was her little pet who had correctly performed a trick.

Hannah’s phoned buzzed and she swept a tendril of hair away from her face as she opened the message. “Priya has chosen to steal Bobby from Sophie. Sophie, this means you are single and your place on the Island is in danger. Tomorrow night, there will be a recoupling in which the boys will choose. Whoever is left standing on their own will be going home.”

My chest tightened as I watched Sophie smile bravely. She looked up at Priya and I.

“I just want to make it clear that there’s no hard feelings. You’re both following your hearts and I genuinely wish you the best.”

Lottie snorted. “As if.”

“Just because you’d be bitter about it doesn’t mean others wouldn’t,” Gary shot back. Lottie rolled her eyes venomously but said nothing further. Sophie squeezed his knee gratefully.

_Maybe she’s not going anywhere. But maybe...maybe that’s worse._

I took a deep breath. I’d made my own bed, it was about time I owned it and started lying in it. Sophie was free to pursue whoever she wanted to. I was literally just going to have to live with it.

-

“Gotta be Africa by Toto.”

Noah whooped in delight, high fiving Sophie as she successfully guessed the tune he’d been humming. Hope broke into song and the three of them laughed together.

Rocco sidled up to their group, whipping out his air guitar and predictably launching into an embarrassingly intense crooning session. Hope and Noah exchanged awkward looks but Sophie started swaying her hips.

“’Cause maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me…”

Her sweet voice drifted over as I watched her and I closed my eyes, letting it wash over me.

Priya curled around me like a cat, taking my chin in her hand and pulling my face toward her. My eyes opened and flicked toward Rocco enveloping Sophie in a hug that lifted her off her feet. Priya returned my gaze more forcefully to her.

“This is so nice, isn’t it? We can finally just lay back, relax and enjoy being together. Just the two of us.”

She sounded so calm, but I sensed the underlying threat in her words. I knew I had to stop following Sophie’s every move – for my own sake, as well as making sure Priya and I came across as genuine as possible to the viewers – but I couldn’t help it, it was like my body was attuned to her presence. I had to know who she was talking to, who was making her laugh, who was potentially moving into the space I’d conveniently left wide open.

Who I was going to have to watch her fall for, all too painfully aware that it should have been me.

“It’s perfect, babe,” I smiled at Priya, amazed at how easily the lies slipped out when I really made myself try. I reached out and tenderly pushed her hair away from her face. “I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be.”

-

Moonlight had slipped over the villa, and with it, a sense of impending dread. Priya had stretched like a cat and headed inside to get ready for bed and the thought of having to join her imminently was causing my hands to shake.

Sleeping with Priya had been dream fuel for me as long as I’d known her. I’d entertained various fantasies of her sneaking into my room when we all visited her in Manchester, dressed up in lingerie whilst she confessed her attraction to me, and then her slender fingers slowly pulling back the duvet and climbing in…

But now all I’d dreamed of was about to come true, and the old adage of _be careful what you wish for_ could not have been more appropriate, for the moment I was about to get everything I’d always wanted, was the moment that I wished I could run away and never look back.

I forced myself to my feet and mechanically walked toward the bedroom. I was so focused on keeping my breathing rhythmic so I didn’t pass out from my brain going into overdrive that I smacked right into someone.

“Jesus, I’m sorry, I-” I looked up, frowning as I realised Sophie was carrying a pillow. “Are you sleeping out here?”

She bit her lip, a blush staining her cheeks. “Just thought it’d be easier for the first night that you and Priya… I don’t want to make it awkward or anything.” She excused herself and gently pushed past me toward the daybed.

I caught her wrist. “You don’t need to do that.”

She kept her eyes on the ground, clearly embarrassed. “It’s a bit awkward for me, too.”

_I’m such a fucking tool._

“Of course, I didn’t even think...I’m sorry, Sophie, I really didn’t mean for you to feel-”

“Honestly, it’s fine.” Her voice sounded upbeat, but I heard the disappointment behind it. “I just need a night to figure my own head out. I need to consider my options, you know?”

I ran my thumb over the inside of her wrist. “I don’t think you’re in danger of going anywhere. At least, I hope not, anyway.”

She smiled to herself. “Maybe you’re right on that one.”

My stomach twisted unpleasantly but I kept my expression neutral. “Well, I er... guess I’ll let you get settled. Sweet dreams, Sophie.”

Her fingers slid over mine as she gave them a small squeeze. “I meant what I said earlier, Bobby. I really do hope it works out for you. I just wish…” Her eyes shone as they found mine and I had to find the strength in me to stop myself from kissing her.

She shook her head, dropping my hand and heading away. “Night, Bobs.”

I watched as she curled into bed, looking so small and alone that it tore at my chest. I made myself walk away, hating myself more with each step.

Priya was nowhere to be seen as I joined the others in the bedroom. I undressed, pulling on my cupcake pants and sliding under the covers, tugging them up over my head. The peace lasted about five seconds before a gust of cold air shot in as Priya ripped the duvet off.

I squinted up, groaning as I saw the lingerie she’d selected. In a pleasant voice, she called goodnight to the others as the lights went off then slipped in next to me.

She nuzzled right up to me, pulling me around to face her. Her lips were inches from mine as she hissed into them.

“This is all just for show, so don’t you dare get handsy or I’ll cut your balls off, understand?”

Her lips closed on mine and I shut off, my mind wandering to the girl sleeping alone outside as I wished more than anything that I was lying beside her.


	8. Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a boy's choice recoupling, and it's not just Bobby who has his eyes on the prize...

_Deep down you know it’s best for yourself but you,  
You hate the thought of her being with someone else._

Burn – Usher.

-

“Bobby. Just the person I wanted to see.”

I looked up from halfheartedly trying to lift a set of dumbbells on the weight bench and grimaced. Hope was hovering over me expectantly, hands on her hips.

“Mornin’, Hope. You’re looking especially gorgeous today.” I tried to avert my gaze from her garishly coloured eyeshadow.

She simpered. “I know. Anyway, lets chat about the recoupling tonight.”

_Lets not._

I opened my mouth like a goldfish but Hope was clearly on a mission that did not require my consent and launched right in.

“It’s such a shame about you and Sophie, you know. We all think so. Priya is nice but is she really your type, Bobby? Your friend’s ex too, it’s not a good look if you ask me. I spoke to Sophie earlier…”

Despite myself, I snatched the bone like a rabid puppy. “You did? What did she say? Did she say anything about me?”

Hope smirked knowingly. “She might have. I think you’re in with a shot, but you need to show her how you feel. What do you think?”

I hung my head. “I can’t. I’m with Priya now.”

Hope’s eyes darkened. “It’s early days, Bobby, you’re entitled to change your mind! I _really_ think Sophie is the better choice for you.”

She was bordering on aggression with her persistence, and I frowned. “Something’s going on here, Hope. What’s up?”

She exhaled in irritation, then cast a look around the lawn to ensure we wouldn’t be overheard. “I keep catching Noah glancing at Sophie when he thinks I’m not looking. This morning, he wasn’t in bed when I woke up, and I caught him sitting on the edge of the daybed with her ‘ _making sure she was okay after her rough night_.’” Hope’s fingers wrenched in air quotes as she rolled her eyes. “I can see Noah and I going all the way, if we stay together. I can’t risk him choosing Sophie and I certainly can’t risk losing my place here.”

“So you want me to choose her so that Noah can’t? Even if I wanted to, there’s no guarantee that I’d get first pick.”

Hope sucked in her cheeks. “I guess not. _Shit_. What about the other guys?” Her eyes narrowed as she mulled it over. “Rocco would definitely go for it with some mild encouragement.”

I couldn’t believe the coldly calculated way she was trying to rig the recoupling. I’d almost have admired her for it, had it not been Sophie in the firing line.

_Guess I’m not the only one here playing games._

“Someone will pick her,” I said, my gaze drifting over to where Sophie was splashing happily in the pool with Gary.

Hope followed my line of sight and grinned triumphantly. “Thanks for the chat, Bobby. Must dash, I just remembered I need to speak to Gary about something…”

She started off toward the pool then doubled back, her lips set in a grim line. “What I told you earlier stays between us, alright?”

I pretended to look around in confusion. “You told me something?”

Hope smiled, clearly pleased, and walked away.

I lay back on the weights machine, letting the sun beat down on my eyelids and relishing the brief moment of peace.

_Trouble in paradise for the villa’s strongest couple already, eh? Music to my ears._

I smiled to myself as a shadow fell over me. I squinted up, an arm hooked over my eyes. Sophie hung over me, grinning, the sun backing her like a halo.

“I thought you might have passed out,” she giggled, scooting next to me on the bench and picking up my hand, running her fingers over mine.

_I might right now._

“You’ve got lovely hands, Bobby. Piano fingers, my gran would say.”

I wiggled them. “Wish I could play. I was in a band once. No piano, though, just strangled cat vocals.”

“That’s cool. I can totally see you rocking the smudged eyeliner look.”

I grinned. “Captain Jack Sparrow, eat your heart out.”

Sophie laughed and leaned her head against my shoulder. “It’s nice to just sit and chat rubbish. Everyone else is banging on about the recoupling. I don’t want to think about it, I just want to enjoy what could be my last day here.”

I shook my head fervently. “You’re going nowhere, lass.”

She smiled. “You’re from Glasgow, right? I’ve only been to Edinburgh.”

I flapped my hands dismissively. “Edinburgh’s for the tourists. If you wanna see the real Scotland, you come to the darkest depths of Glasgow.”

Her eyes met mine.

“Maybe I will someday.”

I was still gazing at her when Marisol’s voice cut through the lovely little moment we were having.

“Guys, we’ve got an hour until the recoupling!”

Sophie squeezed my knee and stretched out as she stood up. “Here goes nothing.”

-

“This is it, lads. Our first chance to get the girl we really want. Everyone feeling pumped?”

Gary grinned around at us all as the five of us sat at the firepit waiting for the girls. Noah and I nodded, both of us solemn. Rocco reached over and slapped an energetic high five across his palm. Rahim said nothing, averting his gaze and staring instead at the flickering flames.

“Here they come, Gary yelped delightedly. “Alright, ladies!”

The girls walked over to the firepit and lined up, taking each other’s hands. Priya threaded her fingers through Sophie’s and shot me a look.

Rocco’s phone beeped first. He leapt to his feet and ran a hand through his unruly curls.

“My soul has been crying out to find a twin flame, and in the embers of this girl’s eyes I have found my kindred spirit…”

I caught Sophie’s eye and pulled a face. She drew her face into her shoulder to stifle a giggle.

“The girl I want to couple up with is Lottie!”

Lottie rolled her tongue between her lips, smirking victoriously. They shared a kiss and sat down together.

My phone beeped and I swallowed nervously as I stood up. I kept my eyes on the floor but I could still feel Priya’s gaze scorching upon me.

“This journey has already been crazy so far for me, and that’s thanks to one girl in particular.”

I chanced an extremely covert glance up and my heart rocketed as I realised Sophie was looking right at me.

“I’m so excited by what’s to come, and there’s only one girl I can picture by my side throughout it all.”

I took a deep breath. “That’s why the girl I want to couple up with is...”

_Sophie._

“Priya.”

Sophie’s face crumpled for a split second, enough to kill me inside, before she hugged Priya tightly in congratulations. Priya sashayed over to me and pressed a brief, cold kiss against my lips.

I took my seat, sliding a perfunctory arm around Priya’s shoulders. Noah’s phone beeped. He drew himself up, looking slightly nervous.

“I’m a man of few words, but what I do say, I mean, and I mean it when I say that this girl...no, this _woman_ , is everything I’ve been looking for.”

Hope tilted her head and beamed.

Noah wiped his forehead before continuing. “She makes me feel...different, when I’m around her, like I’m the best version of myself. That’s why the girl I want to couple up with is…”

Noah paused. I felt like dropping a pin into the silence. Hope, clearly unamused with the theatrics, started to take a step forward.

“The girl I want to recouple with is...Sophie.”


	9. Changes

_She is the tear that hangs inside my soul forever,  
But maybe I'm just too young,  
To keep good love from going wrong.  
  
_Lover, You Should've Come Over - Jeff Buckley

-

The moment Sophie’s name left Noah’s lips, all hell broke loose within the villa.

Hope stepped forward, her finger trembling as she pointed at Noah, her lips curled in a mixture of anger and sadness. “How _could_ you? You didn’t even have the decency to tell me-”

Noah remained calm as he cut in. “Hope, I’m sorry, but it’s only been a few days and I realised I had a better connection with someone else. I haven’t seen you all day to speak to you. You went round speaking to all of the other guys and I just assumed…”

“I was trying to keep us safe! I was making sure someone else picked _her._ ” Hope shot a vicious glare at Sophie, who looked like she wished the ground would swallow her up.

I shot her an encouraging look and she nodded briefly in gratitude. Priya was licking her lips in utter satisfaction as she gleefully watched the drama exploding in front of our eyes.

Noah shook his head. “It shouldn’t be like that. Having chemistry with someone is natural, it doesn’t need to be manipulated or controlled.”

I looked at Sophie, standing on her own, her shoulders pushed back decisively but her hands twisting together nervously as she battled her own emotions. My stomach flipped as she caught my gaze and smiled bravely.

_Having chemistry with someone is natural._

I looked sideways at Priya, so absorbed in the commotion as Hope and Noah continued to argue that she was practically falling off her seat.

_It doesn’t need to be manipulated or controlled._

My head sank into my hands. The enormity of how badly I’d fucked up was rocketing around my veins as the raised voices swirled around me, making my pulse race, my palms clammy with sweat. Arguments reminded me of my childhood, of bruises and tears and running so fast I couldn’t breathe, the stitch tearing through my side and my mum’s hand in mine telling me to just keep going…

“Bobby? Are you alright?”

My eyes flew open to Sophie crouching in front of me, her expression marred with concern. I shook myself out of my trance and nodded slowly.

“I’m fine. I just…” I reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Thank you.”

Gary stepped forward into the brief silence. “I know there’s things to be discussed here, but Rahim and I still need to recouple.”

We looked to the cluster of producers and security guards that had joined us on the lawn, evidently worried things might get physical. They nodded and a guard walked over to guide Hope back to her place in the line.

“Get _off_ me!” She wrangled away from him and stood, glowering, but I caught the hint of a sheen of tears in her eyes and despite myself, I felt sorry for her.

“This is amazing,” Priya whispered jubilantly to me. “This is exactly what we needed to come across as the strongest couple.”

I watched as Sophie slowly walked over to Noah, a small smile crossing her lips as he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and lead her back to their seats, whispering something in her ear. A quiet and subdued contentment radiated from them both as they sat down together.

_They look...perfect._

I snatched my eyes away. I had no right to feel pained, to feel hard done by. I’d walked away from her and Noah had swooped in like the proverbial Prince Charming and taken the opportunity I had missed.

_She deserves to be happy._

I tuned back in as Rahim stepped forward to take his turn.

“I’m happy to see the girl I want to choose is still standing. She’s quiet, but when she speaks, she never fails to amaze me with her lovely words. She’s kind and gentle and I...I just hope she feels the same way I do, I guess. The girl I want to couple up with is Hannah.”

Hannah skipped forward delightedly. She and Rahim giggled nervously as they hugged and walked hand in hand back to their seats. I couldn’t help but smile at how pleased they both looked.

“We need to shut that down, pronto,” Priya hissed in irritation.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring her as Gary swaggered forward.

“So, the girl I really wanted has already been snapped up…” He shot Sophie a look and she grinned apologetically. “But there’s still a girl here that intrigues me. She reminds me a bit of my Nan actually…”

Both Hope and Marisol curled their lips in disgust and Gary blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to continue.

“B-but she’s flames! Total hottie. Anyway...the girl I want to couple up with is Marisol.”

Marisol joined Gary hesitantly, all of us looking to Hope for her reaction.

She lifted her chin high, surveying all of us with a cold look, her steely eyes coming to rest on Noah. “I may be leaving, but I can go with my head held high. Not many of you in here could say the same.” She shot a sneer at Priya and I.

“Hope-” Hannah rose from her seat, but Hope shook her head vehemently and stormed away.

“Well,” Gary boomed into the awkward silence that ensued. “She took that well.”

Marisol groaned and dug him hard in the ribs.

“Owch! Just saying what we’re all thinking.”

Priya looked round at Sophie and Noah, her expression a clever mask of tender concern. “You two okay?”

Sophie nodded, her features softening in gratitude. “Tonight was a hard one, but this experience was never going to be easy. It’s all about adapting to the changes. And things...didn’t work out so badly.”

Her eyes twinkled as she looked up at Noah. He squeezed her close and kissed the top of her head and my stomach churned.

As we all stood and started to head off to bed, Sophie looked back over her shoulder, flashing me the most beautifully sad smile, almost as if she was wishing…

_Stop it, Bobby._

_She’s not yours and she never will be, so let it go before it kills you…_

I turned away, slid my hand into Priya’s and walked on.


	10. Tangled

_It seems the ones who love us are the ones that we deceive,  
But you’re changing everything,  
You’re changing everything in me._  
Without You Here – GooGoo Dolls.

-

“ _Boo_.”

My eyes shot open as I screamed, my limbs tangling in the bedsheets as I writhed around with adrenaline.

Lottie doubled over by my bedside, holding her stomach as she howled with laughter.

“Amazing.” She wiped tears from under her eyes with her fingers. “Just amazing. Anyway, get up. There’s nice stuff for breakfast.”

I shot out of bed. “There’s crepes, right? Please tell me there’s crepes.”

Lottie grinned. “I definitely saw crepes. I also saw a few people eyeing them up. Better get a shift on, Bobbo.”

I squealed, hurtling into the bathroom and throwing cold water over my face. My hand hovered anxiously around my toothbrush.

“Hey, Lottie?”

She sauntered into the bathroom. “I’m missing pancakes here, this better be important.”

I huffed a breath into her face. She recoiled, grimacing as she pushed me away.

“I can’t believe I thought you were hot on the first day,” she muttered, shaking her head as I grabbed my toothbrush and whisked it around my mouth.

“What’s a little halitosis between friends?” I shrugged as I spat out the toothpaste and hooked my arm through hers. “And you still think I’m hot, don’t deny it, my little Wiccan wonder.”

Lottie’s lips lifted as she elbowed me. “Come on, we all get to have a cute little date with our partners too. Can’t keep Queen Priya waiting.”

We emerged onto the lawn, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting under my nostrils.

“This is a public service announcement: step AWAY from my crepes,” I yelled as I thundered across the dewy morning grass toward the buffet table.

“ _Bobby_ ,” Priya hissed, mortified, as I rammed a delicious crepe oozing chocolate into my mouth.

“What?” I mumbled thickly, nutella dripping down my chin. She huffed in disgust and swept away to our table for two with a grapefruit cut in half and a glass of water.

I shrugged and started piling a plate high when a soft voice from behind me stopped me in my tracks.

“Hey, do those crepes have chocolate inside? Gimme.”

“Hey, _mine_ ,” I frowned, lifting the plate out of Sophie’s reach as her hand crept towards the crepes. A devilish look crossed over her features and her eyes glanced down at my armpits.

  
“Oh no, no no no,” I shook my head frantically as Sophie wiggled her fingers and advanced toward me. Shrieking like a banshee, I took off around the lawn, the crepes wobbling precariously as I darted away from Sophie.

  
“Send in the troops, I’m under attack!” I screamed, ducking behind the kitchen counter as Sophie sprinted up to me and dived.

The plate of crepes skidded across the floor as she landed on me and I grabbed her hips to steady her. She was grinning wickedly as she held my arms down by my sides.

  
“Give up?” Sophie tilted her head, her eyes sparkling as she panted slightly.

My head was spinning, my vision dazed as I breathed her in. “I’ll never give up on chocolate filled pastry goodness.”

  
Finding strength from somewhere inside, I flipped her, straddling her waist and pinning her wrists above her head.

  
“Now who has to concede defeat?” I grinned smugly.

  
Sophie’s eyes darkened. “Make me.”

  
Our chests rose and fell in sync as we looked at each other, time slowing to a standstill. My heartbeat was everywhere, resonating off the floor, the wall, as I leaned down closer and closer…

  
Then suddenly, it was like the shutters came down in Sophie’s eyes. She pulled her arms out of my hands and wriggled out from under me, looking at me with a mixture of fear and embarrassment.

She didn’t speak as she got to her feet and tentatively made her way back to Noah who was waiting for her with a smile.

My heart was pounding erratically, my hands shaking as I tried to pick up the plate of crepes.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Priya hissed as she stormed up to the kitchen, grabbing my shoulder and hauling me upwards. “I’ve been sitting on my own looking like a fucking idiot while you’re running around like a five year old with Sophie.”

“S-sorry,” I stammered, following her meekly back to our table. I glanced at Sophie as I walked past but she bowed her head, refusing to meet my eyes.

Priya started cutting into her grapefruit, pasting a sickly sweet smile on her face as I lowered myself weakly into my chair.

“It’s so nice to be able to share a lovely breakfast together, isn’t it?”

_Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who do you possibly think you’re fooling with that act?_

“Delightful,” I groaned. Her mask slipped as she eyed me viciously.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the dynamics of the new couples. Chatting to everyone, seeing how we’re all feeling. Aren’t you?”

Her tone was pleasant to an untrained ear, but I could hear the menace within. Priya had kept me up for what felt like hours last night, going over methods of breaking the other couples, how we could start by sowing doubt and mistrust so we would come out looking like the only genuine pairing.

“Can’t wait.” I flashed her a tight lipped smile and pushed away my breakfast as I stood. “I’m not really feeling breakfast any more. I’ll see you in a bit.”

I dropped a perfunctory kiss on top of her head and I felt her stiffen.

I dropped, my lips level with her ear, my words a mere breath. “We can break up every couple in here, but unless you start acting like you actually like me, we won’t even get close to the prize money.”

She looked up at me and to my amazement, gave me a sheepish nod.

I walked away, raking my hands through my hair as I ran the events of my almost kiss with Sophie over and over in my head.

_She wanted to kiss me. I know she did._

_Doesn’t fucking matter. She’s not yours. She was right to pull away._

I retreated to what now felt like my usual haunt, the roof terrace. I stared moodily out at the lawn as I watched the rest of the Islanders laughing and chatting among themselves.

I leaned my head on my arms, feeling tears start to leak out of my eyes. I’d come here to play the game, to string someone along in a fake romance in order to get my hands on the money. The irony, that I’d actually fallen for someone and now couldn’t have her, was smacking me unceremoniously in the gut.

The door opened behind me and I jumped, spinning around.

Sophie’s vulnerable expression closed off as she registered my presence. She turned around and started back through the dressing room.

“Sophie-”

  
“Leave me alone, Bobby.”

  
I ran to catch up with her and grabbed her hand. “Sophie, _please_. I just want to say sorry.”

  
She snatched her hand away, tears shining in her eyes. “You’ve said it. Now leave me alone.”

I spun her round to face me. “Look, I know I overstepped a mark earlier. I just… you… you make me feel…”

Sophie looked up at me, chewing at her lip despondently. “It wasn’t just you. It _isn’t_ just you. But you made your choice, Bobby, and now I’ve made mine. I think it’s better if we…” She dropped her gaze to the floor, squeezing her eyes shut.

Gently, I lifted her chin. “I’ll stay away from you. I promise. I’m sorry, Sophie.”

She opened her eyes, a tear leaking out and sliding down her face. “So am I, Bobby. So am I.”


	11. It's You

_If tomorrow never comes I would want just one thing,_  
 _I would tell it to the stars and the sun,_  
 _I would write it for the world to see,_  
 _And it’s you,_  
 _The light changes when you’re in the room._  
It’s You – Michelle Branch

-

I sighed deeply as I lugged the cardboard box that had come to villa, addressed specifically to me from one of my all time favourite kitchen utensil companies, onto the kitchen counter and ripped it open.

_Christ, that’s new levels of sad, Bobby, having a top ten of utensil companies…_

Even the sight of a heap of shiny new utensils, a pile of ingredients and a letter asking me to do some paid product placement for the company wasn’t enough to put a smile on my face.

I’d been in an utterly miserable funk since I’d sworn my absence to Sophie the day before. We’d exchanged glances a few times last night and I was counting her ‘ _good night’_ before the lights went down as a form of communication, even though she’d directed it to the entire room, but that was it.

And it was quite frankly, shit.

I started pulling knives and potato peelers out of the box, trying to force myself into the zone. I chanced a glance up at the lawn and my heart fell into my stomach as I spotted Sophie walking over to the kitchen.

_She knows I’m here right? She’s got eyes, she can see me. Is she going to say something or is she just going to ignore me? Should I say something? Oh fuck, she’s almost here…_

“Hey, Bobby,” she said shyly, drifting at the edge of the kitchen.

I shot her a smile. “Mornin’, buttercup.”

She visibly relaxed, smiling widely as she walked over and stuck her elbows on the counter.

“Yesterday was shit,” she declared, her head in her hands as she watched me unpack the box.

I nodded, trying to act nonchalant even as my heart thumped. “Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?”

“I was thinking…”

“Dangerous pursuit, that,” I quipped, laughing as she stuck her tongue out. “Nah, come on, I’m listening.”

“Well, I _was_ thinking it was a lot better when we were talking, but for some reason I’ve changed my mind…”

She pretended to turn away. I skidded to my knees and wrapped my hands around her ankle. “Reconsider, my lady, I beg thee!”

“Oh, alright,” she sighed, her lips turned up in amusement.

I got to my feet, grinning. “ _Yes_. Welcome back, bestie.”

I was so ridiculously relieved and happy that I felt I could burst as she joined me at the counter, picking up the utensils and inspecting them.

“Nothing like a little product placement on a sunny Tuesday morning.” I clicked the spatulas in her face and she giggled.

“I was wondering where this all came from. That’s really cool, Bobs. Well done.”

I started pulling ingredients out of the cupboards. “Not exactly the sexiest endorsement ever made though, is it? I mean, there’s Gary and Rahim strutting around the pool in fresh clobber sponsoring Adidas and I’m over here with an egg whisk.”

“I think it’s impressive. At least, it is if you _really_ know how to cook.” She raised her eyebrows challengingly. “Show me the magic, Chef Bobby.”

I rubbed my hands together. “Oh, it’s on. Come, young padawan, it’s time to learn from the master.”

-

“Well, Bobby, I hate to say it but… you’re actually really good at this.”

Sophie was staring admiringly – and hungrily – at the lasagne I’d just pulled out of the oven.

I snorted and flexed my fingers. “Of course I am. I learned from the best.”

Sophie leaned her elbows on the counter, her soft hair tipping in waves over her arms as she tilted her head inquisitively. “Were you trained by someone famous?”

I shook my head. “Nah. My dad taught me.” My voice caught in my throat a little and I knew Sophie had noticed by the tender look in her eyes. “Well, my step-dad, if we’re being technical, but he was more of a dad to me than…”

Sophie placed a gentle hand on my arm as tears started to leak from my eyes. “You don’t have to talk about it if it hurts.”

I smiled at her gratefully. “It’s okay. Not much to tell. My real dad was a textbook alcoholic wife beater. My step-dad was… he was the greatest man I ever knew. He was so patient with me, he never overstepped the mark, he just let things go at my pace until I started to trust him… he treated me just as he would have if I was his real son.”

It was an extremely rare occasion that I opened up to anybody about my family life, but when I did, it was guaranteed to be met with an awkward ‘ _oh, I’m so sorry_ ’ and averted eyes until the topic was swiftly changed.

Sophie’s voice was low and soft. “How lucky you were in the end, to have been loved out of choice.”

“I… I’ve never really thought about it that way.” I regarded her in awe. “But you’re right. I was lucky.”

She nodded, smiling. “What was his name?”

“Angelo.”

“Well, Angelo, I can’t thank you enough for teaching this guy how to make an insane lasagna,” she grinned, holding her hands up to the sky and bowing her head.

I smiled fondly at her. “He would’ve really liked you. I can hear him now, ‘ _Ah she’s far too beautiful for you, Bobby. Keep dreaming, my son_.’”

A hint of a blush crept across Sophie’s cheeks. “What about your mum?” she asked, clearly keen to change tack. “Tell me about her.”

“Well, she’s not dead for starters.” We both exchanged a look and scoffed a naughty laugh. “Her name is Juliet, she’s about 5 feet 5, she’s a crap cook but she’s the most amazing mum I could wish for. She’s been through a hell of a lot and if I could give her the world on a plate, it still wouldn’t be enough.”

“I hope I can meet her at some point,” Sophie smiled. “Juliet. Such a beautiful name.”

“She has the same luck in love as her namesake. Anyway, enough about my dysfunctional family, what about yours?”

Sophie’s expression clouded over. “Not much to tell, really,” she replied quietly.

I brushed a hair out of her face with my thumb, understanding. “Then I won’t pry.” I clapped my hands together. “Right, my glamorous assistant, they want some snazzy photos of me and the cookware for Instagram so get snapping and make sure you get my best side or you’re getting the crusty side of the lasagna.”

I handed her my phone and she ran around the counter, giggling helplessly as she directed poses and I over exaggerated them. I realised I was having a genuinely good time and a warm, happy feeling spread through my veins as I looked at Sophie.

_You make me feel alive again._

We bent our heads together once the ‘photo shoot’ was over, laughing as we scrolled through the reel and eventually settling on a picture of me pouting and slapping my bum with a spatula.

“Perfect. Thank you, my glamorous assistant.” I sent the photo in an email to the company for review and locked my phone. To my horror, the photo that Sophie had sent on the first day glowed from the screen.

“I’m still your screensaver? Can’t decide if that’s cute or creepy,” Sophie teased, pushing my shoulder.

“If you think that’s creepy, it’s a good job you’ve never woken up when I’m performing my nightly hair sniffing ritual.”

“That’s you? I had my money on Rocco.” She bumped my hip as she helped me tidy the kitchen. “Just don’t cut any off and rope Lottie into one of her voodoo rituals.”

“Now there’s an idea… _Lottie_!”

I looked back as I went tearing across the lawn, her beatific smile as she shook her head despairingly etching its way onto my memory forever.

I was falling, and there was no safety net to catch me but my own conscience.

_If she finds out why you’re here…_

_But I can’t stay away…_

-

A dark, glittering sky had drawn over the villa and I sat despondently at the firepit, looking at the dancing flames and thinking about Angelo.

“Would you be proud of me?” I mused. I shook my head. “No. You’d want me to save the restaurant, but not like this. Not at the expense of others.”

I sighed, throwing my hands to the sky. “Help me. Please. I’m in a huge fucking mess and it just keeps getting deeper. Send me a sign or something.”

Just then, soft footsteps padded over the decking towards me. I looked up. Sophie was barefaced, wrapped in a blanket, a smile on her lips but a sadness in her eyes. She looked so perfect that I almost couldn’t bear it.

“Mind if I join you?”

Wordlessly, I patted the space next to me. Sophie sat so close to me that our thighs pressed together. She hooked half of the blanket around my shoulders and leaned into me, resting her head against my chest.

“Bobby?” Her breath was warm against my chest.

“Mhm?” I murmured, dizzy with sheer contentment.

“I… I’d like to tell you about my family. It gets pretty deep into the old woe is me trenches though, so if you’d rather I didn’t…”

“Hey.” I squeezed her closer. “You took the whole ‘violent birth dad, angelic dead stepdad’ thing like a champ earlier. I’m all ears.”

“Okay. Thank you.” She smiled. “Here goes. Until I was around twelve years old, I thought I was part of a regular, happy family. My mum and dad were – they are – absolutely perfect. I’m an only child and I wanted for nothing. They’ve always been so loving, so supportive. I’m so lucky to have them.”

She took a deep breath. “One day, when I was around twelve, they sat me down and explained that they’d always wanted to tell me something but it had never really seemed like the right time. My mum cried a little and I got so scared that she just blurted it out. ‘ _We adopted you, Sophie.’_ They told me the story of how they had tried for years to have a baby, but it just wasn’t working out. They were about to give up on their dream of being parents, but some friends of theirs put them in touch with a local adoption agency. That’s how they found me.”

She took another breath, composing herself before she continued. “I’d never questioned until then that they were older than my friend’s parents, or how we didn’t share any similar features, but once I put the pieces together it was like a smack in the gut. I pulled away from my parents for a little while. I guess I felt confused, betrayed… it was really hard to come to terms with.”

I started stroking her hair gently but said nothing. Her eyes were hazy as she relived her past in her own mind.

“I can understand now that my parents were scared of putting into words that I wasn’t really theirs. They didn’t _feel_ that way, of course; to them I _am_ their daughter completely, so I guess voicing the truth felt a bit like lifting the lid on Pandora’s box. A lot of intense emotions involved. Easier to keep it shut, for all of our sakes, but you can’t hide the truth forever.” She chuckled mirthlessly. “Unfortunately.”

“Of course, I got curious about my real parents. My mum dug out my adoption papers and my biological mother had signed them in hospital just after I was born, but that was about it. All I had was her name and date of birth. No sign of my dad anywhere, so we guessed he didn’t stick around for long once he found out I was on the way. I started thinking about my mum constantly. I knew her name was Marianne, and I invented her in my head; how I imagined she looked, how she laughed, what she did for a living…”

Tears shone in Sophie’s eyes but she sniffed and carried on. “I wondered about her constantly. Why did she give me up? Why didn’t she want me? Did she regret it? Did she still think about me? Would she take it back, if she could? Endless questions that haunted me for years. Eventually, I turned eighteen, and with my parents’ blessing I started to search for Marianne. They helped me do it, they understood that I needed to know.”

Tears were sliding openly down her cheeks now and I brushed them away with my thumbs.

“I eventually traced her, after what felt like an endless search, and I wrote her a letter. I pretty much spilled my heart out over about four pages. I told her how she was on my mind constantly, how I wasn’t angry with her for giving me up, I just wanted to know who I really was.” Sophie placed a hand over her heart. “It was like a piece of my puzzle was missing and only Marianne had the ability to make me whole again. I waited months, agonising and then I got a letter back.”

Her voice broke and I held her close as she tried to speak through her sobs. “She didn’t want to meet. She didn’t want to explain or answer my questions. She told me she didn’t want to know me, that she didn’t regret giving me away and that I wasn’t to contact her again.”

“Fuck, Sophie, that’s absolutely awful. I’m so, so sorry.”

I held her for an indeterminate amount of time, stroking her hair as she cried and feeling acute, heart wrenching sorrow for everything she’d been through. I’d gone through life enviously assuming that everybody had it better than me and the thought that this beautiful, magic girl had been through just as much shit was the worst reality check I’d ever had.

Her tears let up and she pulled away slightly, giving herself space for composure. “In a way, it’s worse than not knowing. If she hadn’t responded, I could have gone on pretending that she had moved address and hadn’t gotten my letter and that the biological mother I invented in my head was still out there, looking for me just like I was looking for her.” Sophie smiled despondently and wiped her face. “But life goes on and it becomes one of those things you just put in a box and pretend you’ve forgotten about.”

“You don’t forget, though,” I muttered, hearing the bang of a fist against a coffee table, seeing the flash of a bruise under an eye as clearly as if they were happening right in front of me.

Sophie wrapped her fingers around mine and squeezed them tightly. “It will always hurt, but every day, it’ll hurt a little less than before.”

I kissed her forehead. “She really fucked up, old Marianne. She’s missing out on one of the most fucking amazing people I’ve ever met.”

Sophie laughed through her tears. “I know, right? Fuck you, Marianne.” She jumped to her feet on the seat, threw back her head and opened her arms. “ _FUCK YOU!_ ”

I scrambled to join her, both of us screaming into the sky until we collapsed in a fit of hysterical giggles, Sophie laid back with her head in my lap. I looked down at her as she laughed and a throat constricting ache ran through my whole body.

_I was meant to find you._

Her eyes fluttered open and I just couldn’t help myself. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers. She reached up, tangling her fingers through my hair and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her up with me, kissing her with every ounce of emotion that was pounding through my veins.

Then a voice, dark and bitter, cut through the night and snapped us out of our perfect moment.

“I _knew_ it.”

“ _Noah_ ,” Sophie gasped, frantic as she pulled away from me. “Noah, I-”

His eyes were cold as he looked at me. “You couldn’t leave her alone, could you?”

“Mate, I’m sorry, I-”

“Save it,” Noah snapped. He turned and walked away.

Sophie looked at me, and I knew she was trying to make a decision. I bowed my head, unable to look at her. When I looked back up, she was already gone.

_This is what you deserve._

And even though the fire was roaring and I pulled the blanket tighter around me, I felt cold.


	12. Nicest Thing

_All I know is that you’re so nice,  
You’re the nicest thing I’ve seen.  
I wish that we could give it a go,  
See if we could be something._  
Nicest Thing – Kate Nash

-

My shoulders slumped in dejection, I paused in front of the bedroom door. The lights had been switched back on and I could hear the commotion as the other Islanders had a frenzied discussion about what was going on.

_Well, time to face the music._

The moment I stepped inside the room, I was swarmed.

“Bobby!” Hannah’s voice was pitched with a feverish excitement as she bounded up to me. “Have you seen Noah and Sophie?”

Marisol raised a knowing eyebrow. “What’s happened? Have you three had an argument or something?”

“Bobby, what’s going on? We heard you and Sophie screaming so Noah went out to check on you both and now he’s gone…”

Rahim’s concerned voice tailed off as Noah stormed back into the bedroom, closely followed by a tearful Sophie.

“The only people this concerns are myself, Sophie, Bobby and Priya,” he said, his tone abrupt.

A hushed gasp ran around the room. Lottie swiped her tongue over her teeth, grinning wickedly.

Priya stalked over, her silk nightgown swaying as she drew her eyes across me. Her lips were set a thin line of disapproval, a voracious anger bubbling just below the surface.

The door flew open as a producer hurried, red faced, into the bedroom. “We need mics back on, everybody,” he wheezed, visibly delighted at the dramatic turn of events.

Noah gave him a stony glare. “We are going to have a private discussion _without_ -”

“It’s non negotiable,” the producer cut in, shrugging.

Noah’s lip curled in indignation. He turned, wordlessly, and walked out of the bedroom, the door flying shut behind him with a deafening slam.

The producer muttered something into his earpiece and scurried out after him.

Fresh tears collected in the corners of Sophie eyes and Gary pushed himself out of the fray, looping an arm around her shoulders and walking her over to a secluded corner.

“It’s alright, it’ll be okay,” he whispered, tenderly brushing away her tears as she fell into his arms and cried.

My heart twisted watching her and I longed to be the one to comfort her, but cool fingers slid around my wrist and pulled me away.

Priya took us up to the roof terrace, closing the door firmly behind us. We could see a throng of security guards and producers on the lawn trying to talk Noah down.

“Care to explain what the fuck just happened?”

I dropped onto the seat, running my hands over my face, my fingertips stretching the skin. “I kissed her.”

Priya laughed mirthlessly. “Of course you did.” Her eyes turned venomously cold. “Do you realise how much you’ve fucked this up, for both of us? _Nobody_ out there is going to buy us now. You may as well have chucked the fifty grand on the fucking firepit.”

“And you think _you_ were doing any better? I’m sure the public thought your absolute disgust at the mere thought of touching me was the most romantic thing they’ve ever seen!”

“Don’t you dare blame me for this,” Priya snarled. “I was the one who could have fixed everything for you. You think running around after Little Miss Perfect is going to save your restaurant?”

I drew my shoulders back, forcing away the tears prickling in my eyes. “You know what, yeah. Yeah I do. I could win with her.”

Priya laughed. “Oh, hell no. You are gravely mistaken if you think I’m going to let you fuck up _my_ chances even further. _I’m_ going to win.”

“You just said it yourself, nobody will buy us now.”

“I’m not talking about us. You just buried that particular coffin so far deep into the ground that it’ll never see the light of day again.” She glided over to the balcony, wrapping her fingers around the railing and looking down at the lawn.

I scoffed. “ _Noah_? Good luck with that.”

She smiled patronisingly. “I don’t need luck. You and your precious Sophie have practically handed him to me on a plate. He and I are the victims in this whole debacle. We can bond over our shared betrayal.” Her eyes glinted. “It’s perfect.”

I shook my head. “Go ahead, play your games. What I have with Sophie is real.”

“And I’m sure she’ll be _really_ pleased to hear how you dropped her as soon as she didn’t fit in with your plans.” Priya drew toward me, her glare stone cold. “Don’t even think about crossing me, Bobby. I can blow this whole thing up in your face without even thinking twice about it.”

My hands were shaking but I faced her head on. “If you tell Sophie, you’ll implicate yourself. You can take me down, Priya, but you’ll be coming with me – and so will any chance you have at getting your nasty little hands on the prize money.”

Her features twitched with fury. She twisted my t-shirt in her hands and drew me close to her, her breath spittling on my face as she snarled.

“Mark my words, Bobby McKenzie, if you fuck this up for me, I’ll make you regret the day you were born.”

Feeling spurred with adrenaline, I pushed her hand away and walked over to the door. Before I opened it, I turned and shot her a smirk. “May the best player win.”

-

“Bobby, wake up, my man.”

I groaned, my head pounding as I squinted into the light. I shuffled uncomfortably on the sofa, rubbing my sore neck as I tried to sit up.

Rocco thrust a beaker of odious green gloop in my face. “Damn, your aura is totally off kilter, dude. Here, this will sort it out in no time.”

I accepted it gingerly, trying not to retch as the thick mixture slid down my throat. “Cheers, Rocco. Do you know what time it is?”

“Time? Time is a man made concept, my friend. There is no such thing as time, it exists only to shackle us to a life of routine and slavery…”

I shook my head as he wafted around the room, muttering to himself. I kicked the towel I’d used as a blanket to the floor and dragged myself up, feeling like utter shite.

“Do you know if the showers are free?” I cut into Rocco’s monologue.

“Yeah, man. Everyone is outside talking to the new boys.”

The shock jangled through me. “New boys?”

“Yeah, they seem pretty dope.”

“Why didn’t you fucking say so?” I snapped as I tugged on yesterday’s t-shirt, horridly aware that it was emanating a stale, teenage boy scent of sweat, but it would have to do.

Rocco shrugged, jumping as I sprinted past him and thrust the beaker into his hands.

The sun, hot and blinding, knocked me back as I burst onto the lawn. I hooked a hand over my eyes and scurried over to the mass of bodies intermingling at the poolside.

“Bobby, hey,” Rahim smiled, spotting me approach and drawing me into the fold.

Noah looked over, his arms tightly folded, and glowered at me.

“Uh, let me introduce you to to the new guys,” Rahim said nervously. “Meet Lucas and Henrik.”

I looked up at them both and my heart sank.

They were a contrasting pair, dark and light, but both as ridiculously handsome as the other. Henrik stuck a hand out first, grinning.

“Bobby! It’s awesome to meet you,” he exclaimed, pumping my hand enthusiastically.

Lucas stepped forward, slick and cool as he extended his hand. “It’s good to finally meet you. You’ve been an interesting one to watch.”

_What the fuck is that supposed to mean?_

“Lucas was just telling us how he wants to join Doctors Without Borders,” Hannah gushed as I shook his hand.

The rest of the girls swooned predictably and I realised with a jolt that Sophie wasn’t there.

“Uh, that’s cool. Welcome, by the way. I just have to, um… get something from inside…” I gabbled, tripping over my feet as I stumbled away.

The bedroom was evidently empty, but like an idiot I rushed around, lifting duvet covers and tipping up suitcases. I got to Sophie's bed and then dropped to my knees, peering underneath into the darkness.

“You won’t find her there. She’s in the beach hut.”

Startled, I banged my already thumping head off the bed frame. I stood up, groaning as I rubbed at the rapidly forming lump.

Noah rolled his eyes. “I think you and I need to talk.”

_Great._

“Look, Noah, I’m sorry-”

“That you got caught. You’re not sorry you did it, are you?”

Slowly, I shook my head.

He scoffed a laugh. “Yeah, I thought as much. It’s been obvious from the beginning that you made a mistake dumping her for Priya. I just don’t understand why you did it, if you knew you still liked her.”

“Noah, I know you won’t believe me, but I am genuinely sorry that I’ve hurt you. You’ve been a real mate and-”

“Do you always do this to your mates, then? Kiss the girl they like behind their back? Because you’re starting to develop a track record.”

I dropped my gaze to the floor, his words feeling like a physical blow.

“I don’t know what you’ve come here for, Bobby, but you’ve made it clear that it’s not to make friends. Whatever Sophie chooses from now on is up to her, but I don’t want anything more to do with you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. If Noah was reacting this badly, what the fuck was Johnny going to do when I saw him?

_If he even lets me see him._

“Fair enough,” I said tightly, my words catching in my throat.

Noah turned away, then faltered slightly. He walked over and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Look, Bobby, you’re clearly a decent lad underneath it all. Don’t get so lost in this game that you forget who you really are.”

He walked away, pausing as he silently held the door open for somebody to pass him.

“Thanks,” Sophie whispered with a nervous smile. Noah nodded and walked out, the door swinging to a close behind him.

We looked at each other, the silence palpable.

“Sophie, I-”

“Bobby, I-”

We giggled awkwardly. Sophie padded over and we sat gingerly on the edge of her bed. She twisted the sheet through her fingers.

“We’ve kind of fucked this up, haven’t we?”

My stomach dropped. “You think? I was hoping…”

Sophie looked at me, her eyes shining. “Maybe we could… start over?”

A grin of sheer and utter relief spread over my face. I looked away and then back, my hand outstretched.

“Hi, I’m Bobby McKenzie. I like deep chats by the firepit, casual strolls around the pool trying to knock some sense into myself, and I currently hold the Villa’s record title for ‘most crepes stuffed into a mouth at one time.’”

Sophie giggled, her eyes lighting up. She shook my hand. “Nice to meet, you, Bobby McKenzie. I’m Sophie Gold. I like-”

“Sophie!” The door was thrown open and Hannah ran over to us excitedly, hooking her arm through Sophie’s and wrenching her off the bed. “You need to come with me! There are two _gorgeous_ guys outside and they both just said they’re into you! Come on!”

Sophie looked at me helplessly at Hannah propelled her out of the door.

I fell backwards onto the bed, my palms slapped over my face.

_Just my fucking luck._


	13. New Man

_I heard he spent five hundred pounds on jeans,  
Goes to the gym at least six times a week,  
Wears boat shoes with no socks on his feet,  
And I hear he’s on a new diet and watches what he eats.  
He’s got his eyebrows plucked and his arsehole bleached,  
Owns every single Ministry CD,  
Tribal tattoos and he don’t know what it means,  
But I heard he makes you happy so that’s fine by me.  
_New Man – Ed Sheeran

-

I emerged from the shower feeling fresh and revitalised, until I smacked into Lottie who was furiously backcombing the living daylights out of her hair.

She eyed me suspiciously, sniffing the air. “Have you been using my lime and bergamot body wash?”

“By the way my balls are tingling, I’m gonna give that a solid yes.”

She rolled her eyes. “You disgust me. Hey, guess what?”

I ran my finger over my lips, pretending to muse. “You turned the bin into a cauldron and you’re brewing a potion made out of hellfire and leftover wheatgrass smoothie?”

“I have a date,” she grinned, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Yes, Lotta. Give it to me,” I grinned, holding my hand up.

She slapped my palm, squealing with excitement. She rooted around the bathroom counter and held up two lipsticks that looked exactly the same. “Which one?”

“Uh, left. Definitely left. Who’s the lucky fella?”

“Our new Swedish friend. He seems like he’s really good vibes. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Is the… other guy taking someone on a date?”

Lottie’s face fell. “Um, he is, yeah.”

“Perfect. That’s great. If you don’t mind, Lottie, I’m just gonna head back into the shower for a bit and let the water wash away my tears.”

She snorted. “Bobby, I say this as lovingly as possible. Get the fuck out there and show her that you want her before somebody else does. Again.”

I wiped imaginary tears from my eyes and thumped my chest with my fist. “I felt that. Right in the heart.”

She narrowed her eyebrows and jerked her head toward the door.

“Okay, okay, I’m going. Bobby the love god reporting for duty, sir!” I doubled back and stuck my head around the door. “Ma’am.”

She waggled a makeup brush at me. “ _Go_!”

I lifted my wrist to my mouth as I walked through the villa. “Captain’s log. I am currently on my way to undertake the mission assigned to me by my gothic overlord. Failure to complete this mission will result in…”

I tailed off as I stepped into the dressing room and caught sight of Sophie checking her outfit in the mirror.

_How can she be real? She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in the world._

She clocked me gawping, dumbfounded, at her and grinned. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer. And you’ll have a new screensaver.”

“Hey, how about this?” I scurried over to her and fished my phone out of my pocket. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and flipped the camera to face us. “Say cheese.”

I snapped the photo and it came to life on the screen. I started to upload it to the official Love Island Instagram page that we all had access to. “‘Team Bophie. Hashtag, is she really going out with him?'”

Sophie rolled her eyes in amusement. “You know about that, huh?”

“Nothing gets past Detective McKenzie. Are you, um, excited about it?”

“It’s nice to be asked. Lucas seems like a really nice guy. It’ll be a good chance to get to know him better.”

“Yeah, I guess it will.”

_What the fuck? Brain to mouth, stop being a complete prat and Tell. Her. How. You. Feel. Better still, push her up against the wall and_ show _her…_

“Well, that’s me ready to go.” Sophie smoothed down her dress and smiled. “See you when I get back.” Her eyes glittered. “We can catch up on what we were talking about earlier.”

_Thank you, baby Jesus._

“You can count on it,” I grinned.

-

It was late afternoon and I was floating around the pool, on my eighty-third attempt of mentally psyching myself up to talk to Sophie before she returned from her second date of the day.

“What do you reckon, Bobs? Would you rather have finger sized nipples or nipple sized fingers?”

I looked at Gary incredulously. “Mate, what the actual fuck goes on in your brain?”

He shrugged, almost tipping off his lilo in the process. “Oh, I hear voices!”

My heart lifted as I looked over at the path that lead to the lawn from the front of the villa, but it sunk again in disappointment when Lucas and Hannah walked in and joined us.

“Don’t worry,” Hannah smiled encouragingly as I pouted. “She’ll be back soon.”

I launched myself off my rubber ring (which naturally resembled a doughnut topped with icing and sprinkles) and pulled myself out of the pool.

“I’m gonna make a start on dinner,” I mumbled, sloping off to the kitchen.

“Let me help you,” Lucas said, in a tone that meant he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“Uh, alright,” I shrugged, trying to hide my surprise.

_Probably wants a ‘lad to lad chat’ about how he’s gonna swoop in and poach Sophie from me. Fantastic. Just what I need right now._

We worked in an awkward silence for a few minutes, chopping vegetables and simmering pans.

“I know what you probably think I want to talk to you about,” Lucas said finally. “And I do want to discuss that, but mainly, I wanted to check on how you’re coping in here. How are you doing at the moment?”

_Did I totally make up the part where he put ‘massage’ in front of ‘therapist’ earlier? What kind of ‘lulling me into a false sense of security before he steals my girl’ bullshit is this?_

“I’m doing just fine,” I said curtly.

Lucas nodded easily, unperturbed by my rudeness. “You missed the discussion about it earlier, but Henrik and I have been watching the show prior to coming in today. I can’t say too much, of course, but there’s been certain moments that have been...concerning.”

He nudged me and I looked at him as he mouthed ‘ _Priya_.’

I froze in shock. I widened my eyes, imploring him to continue.

“Some people are clearly showing a different side to the cameras than the one they show behind closed doors. It’s being noticed, on the outside.” He raised his eyebrows pointedly. Then he smiled and it was full of genuine warmth. “You’re coming across really well. I thought you might like to know that.”

I grinned, breaking into a laugh. “Fucks sake, Lucas.”

“What?” he asked, his eyes glimmering with amusement.

“Here I am, gearing up to hate you because you’re some kind of suave Adonis that has his eyes on the girl I like and now I feel like running over when she walks back in and telling her you’re a fucking great guy and she should totally go for it.”

Lucas laughed out loud. “Be my guest!” His tone turned slightly more serious. “You really like her, then?”

I nodded, a blush rising in my cheeks. “Understatement of the year.”

Lucas smiled ruefully. “I thought so. You two definitely have great chemistry.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to be upfront with you now, Bobby, and let you know I intend to get to know her, but of course, what happens as a consequence of that all boils down to Sophie and the decisions she wants to make. I hope we can get through that with minimal hard feelings.”

I nodded, even though my heart was racing and my gut was aching with disappointment. “I appreciate you letting me know. And Lucas?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. For helping me out.”

“With the dinner?”

I smiled. “Yeah. With the dinner.”


	14. Sun

_Right when I thought my days were done,_  
You showed the sun to me.  
In And Out Of Love – Oh Wonder

-

The low thrum of music and the steady buzz of laughter and chatter drifted across the lawn. I sat alone at the beanbags, mindlessly swirling the liquid in my cup and trying not to let my gaze shift upwards to the two figures silhouetted on the roof terrace.

A high pitched shriek sounded out from the kitchen and I watched as Gary ripped open the fridge and tipped the entire carton of milk over himself, his tongue dangling as he panted like a dog.

“It’s not even hot!” Lottie scowled, sipping at her cocktail as Rahim, Hannah, Henrik, Rocco and Marisol fell about laughing.

I looked on, feeling like an outsider, like they were all inside in the warmth and I was pressing my nose against the glass.

_Get a grip, Bobby. It’s a party._

I sighed, about to pull myself to my feet and force myself into the fray when I heard Sophie’s signature giggle ring out from above me. I looked up and my heart stalled as I saw her and Lucas, their heads bent together as they leaned against the railing, his finger twisting gently through a lock of her hair.

_Okay, that can fuck all the way off._

I stormed moodily toward the bedroom, desperate to slide under my duvet and block this absolute shit show of a day from my memory, but as I passed the firepit and the couple sitting in front of the flickering flames, I slowed to a stop.

Priya and Noah were talking quietly to one another, their forms completely relaxed and content as they leaned in towards each other. Priya’s features were soft as she smiled shyly up at him. She looked like the Priya I used to know, the one that made my heart race and my head spin.

But she wasn’t that person any more. I doubted now that she ever really had been.

_I can’t let her manipulate Noah. He’s a decent guy, he doesn’t deserve to be used and spat out for Priya’s gain._

“Noah,” I said, my voice bolstered with confidence even though my hands were shaking. “Can I talk to you?”

Noah looked around, rolling his eyes in irritation. “I’ve got nothing to say to you, Bobby.”

Priya’s eyes were cold with fury as she stared at me. Imperceptibly, she shook her head in warning. I looked away from her and kept my focus on Noah.

“Noah, I’m not trying to interfere, I just think you should-”

“You think I should _what_ , exactly?” Noah snarled, standing up and coming nose to nose with me. “What the fuck is your problem, Bobby? Don’t tell me stealing Sophie out from under my nose suddenly isn’t enough for you? Now you have to try and get in the way of me and Priya getting to know each other too?”

“I’m not… it’s not like that,” I pleaded, sounding desperate even to my own ears.

“Then what _is_ it like?” His eyes were blazing with fury. “Because to me, it looks like you’re not content with stabbing me in the back once already, and you’re about to try it again, because you can’t bear seeing a girl try to move on from you.”

From the corner of my eye, I could see the other Islanders whispering urgently among themselves as they watched us. Security guards were edging toward us, clearly anticipating things turning physical at any second.

Then I heard the soft pad of footsteps running across the grass.

“What’s going on?” Sophie asked breathlessly as she reached us, her wide eyes switching from me to Noah.

“Nothing that concerns you,” he said tightly, keeping his eyes on mine.

“Come on, Bobby. Come with me before this gets out of hand,” Sophie said gently, looping her arm through mine and trying to guide me away.

Noah snorted derisively. “Wake up, Sophie. He’s playing you in front of your eyes and you can’t seem to see it. This whole caring, concerned thing he’s putting on is a complete act. More fool you if you carry on believing it.”

Sophie’s fingers tightened against my skin. “Noah, I know you’re still hurt and you have every right to be, but Bobby isn’t-”

Noah laughed mirthlessly. “Bobby isn’t the person you think he is.” Then he looked at her and his eyes softened, just for a moment. He breathed deeply. “I really liked you, Sophie. I didn’t have an agenda, I didn’t want you just because somebody else did. I wish you could have seen that.”

Her eyes shimmered but she blinked back her tears, pressed her lips together and wordlessly led me away.

-

The tension between us was palpable as we sat silently on the driveway of the villa. The sound of gravel crunching underneath my sneakers as I rolled them nervously back and forth served as the only noise in the otherwise deadpan silence.

Sophie was staring straight ahead, her expression completely unreadable. Moonlight shone on her skin and her hair danced gently in the evening breeze.

_Say something. Please. Even if it’s something I don’t want to hear._

As if she could read my mind, she let out a small, defeated sigh and began to speak.

“My mum told me once that the perfect man really does exist, and that it’s highly likely you’ll meet him at some point in your life. He’ll be just as you imagined; tall, handsome, kind, funny, protective, charming, clever. Falling in love with him will be the easiest thing you’ve ever done. You’ll see no flaws and there will be no arguments. Life with him will run along just perfectly, no hiccups, no bumps in the road and what you will feel is content.”

She turned to me and gave a small smile. “And then you will realize that the perfect man isn’t really perfect for you at all. Because the man who is really perfect for you makes your head spin and your hands shake and he makes you mad and he makes you cry with laughter and when he touches you it feels like…”

“Magic,” I murmured.

She nodded gently. “Things were said tonight that might have come from a place of hurt, or maybe from a small seed of truth. I could question it forever, or I could just say fuck it, fuck all of you who might think I’m crazy, and follow what I feel deep in my heart is right.”

Her eyes met mine and my heart banged frantically against my chest as every vein in my body brimmed with hope.

“I don’t want to just feel content, Bobby. I want to feel _everything_. I want to feel the way I feel...when I’m with you.”

The relief crashed over me like a wave. I laughed madly and swept her up into my arms, spinning us round in circles.

“Just for the record, I think you’re crazy,” I grinned. “But for the love of god, don’t change your mind.”

And I tangled my fingers in her hair and pulled her lips to mine and as we kissed, a million stars exploded behind my eyes and time cheated us by refusing to stand still.

_This is it. This is what people spend their lives searching for._

_I've found it._

_And now I can’t ever let it go._


	15. Pageant

Like a soldier nervously preparing to go into battle, I surveyed the scene before me and took a deep breath. Every single inch of the girls’ dressing room was in complete and utter chaos.

It seemed logical to handle the worst issue first, so I navigated my way through lipstick smears and a Swede in a dress toward Gary, who was hunched in a corner with tears streaming down his face.

I crouched down to his level and awkwardly patted his back. “It’s alright, Gaz, mate. All of this is just a bit of fun, no need to get upset. I’m sure whatever you do for the pageant will be absolutely… I-is that a fucking _onion_?”

Gary nodded, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “All I could find to peel it were these.” He held aloft a pair of nail scissors. “Gonna be an absolute blinder, though, Bobs, wait ‘til you see it.”

“Uh huh,” I nodded slowly, pasting a horrifically fake grin of encouragement on my face as I rose to my feet and instantly located my next mission.

“I just don’t understand how you managed to get the coat hanger _inside_ your boxers,” I grunted five minutes later, my chest heaving with the effort of disentangling Rocco from inside the wardrobe, where he’d fallen after a particularly intricate yoga pose had gone drastically wrong.

“The spirits work in mysterious ways, my friend,” Rocco shrugged from behind a sarong. He pulled it away from his face and threw it into the middle of the room, where it was caught by Henrik who began to earnestly tie it around his waist.

“I think the dress and the hair clips are enough, mate,” I called out. “You’re venturing dangerously close to overkill territory.”

“If you can’t dress up for a pageant, when can you?” Henrik grinned, plonking himself in front of the mirrors and ferreting through Lottie’s make-up bag. His lips set in concentration as he began smearing some kind of jellied purple glitter over his cheeks.

I shrugged and returned to the task at hand. With a final heave, Rocco tumbled out of the wardrobe and I stepped over him toward the only small oasis of calm left.

“Rahim,” I breathed raggedly, falling dramatically into his lap. “This is an absolute shit show and I still don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, squinting as he rapidly maneuvered his Rubix cube. “Cool. Sounds good.”

I sighed heavily and stumbled toward the door, desperate for a breather, but familiar voices drifted from the other side. I pressed myself flat so I could hear.

“I take it the only Speedos you could find were in the kids section?” Sophie laughed.

Lucas chuckled. “Less is more, right? At least they’re on so tight I don’t need to worry about them floating away in the pool.”

“I didn’t have you pinned as a synchronized swimmer. Colour me surprised.”

“You’ll be coloured disappointed if you’re expecting a full on routine. More like Tom Daley eat your heart out for two minutes.”

She giggled and I felt my stomach twist.

_They’re just having a crack on for god’s sake, stop being insecure._

“Anyway, I know Bobby’s in there trying to sort everyone out. I think he might need some help.”

_Okay, I knew I liked that guy._

I leapt away as the door was pushed open. Sophie eyed me suspiciously as she grabbed my hand and hauled me downstairs into the empty bedroom.

I pushed her backwards onto my bed and leaned over her, running my hands along her thighs as I breathed into her ear. “Make it snappy, darling, I’ve got a crown to win.”

Sophie ran her thumb over my bottom lip, her eyes darkening. “And you intend to do that how, exactly?”

I shrugged. “Give ‘em the old razzle dazzle?”

Sophie laughed and extricated herself by sliding under my arms. She hauled me into the middle of the floor. “You need a talent, Bobs. Something unique.”

I pouted, sulky at myself for screwing the opportunity to seduce her. “I don’t have one.”

She grinned endearingly. “Sure you do. Everyone’s good at something.”

“What’s your talent, then? Besides the whole being insanely fit and saving wild animals thing?”

To my complete and utter surprise, she shot me a devilish smirk and cleared some space between us before performing an effortless backflip.

I snatched an eyebrow pencil from Marisol’s bedside table. “Okay, we have enough time to draw some freckles on you and cut your hair. You just need to get the Scottish accent down pat.”

Sophie pulled the pencil out of my fingers. “ _You_ have just enough time to do some baking.”

I frowned. “Baking? Soph’, we’re on Love Island here, not Masterchef.”

“A shame, considering what your _talent_ is,” she said pointedly. “Kitchen, quick march.”

I wrapped my arms around her waist and smothered her face with kisses. “What would I do without you, eh?”

“You wouldn’t win any crowns,” she giggled. She caught my chin gently in her hand and pressed a slow kiss against my lips. “Now get out there and do me proud.”

-

“And for my final trick!”

I rummaged around in the folds of fabric that swathed me, inwardly cursing myself for letting Henrik talk me into wearing a dress. Icing smeared along my thigh as I whipped out the cupcake and set it in front of Sophie.

“Something sweet for someone sweet,” I smiled.

“Ew,” Lottie curled her lip in disgust. “You’re not gonna eat that, are you?”

Sophie started to shake her head then hesitated as she clocked my expression.

“You better!” I frowned. “A lot of time and effort went into making that cupcake.”

Sophie gingerly licked a sliver of icing and I nodded approvingly before exiting the stage.

“Nice one, mate,” Lucas grinned, slapping my palm as he passed me. “For the record, brownies are my favourite.”

“Duly noted,” I nodded. “Hey, Lucas?”

He turned. “Robert?”

I rolled my eyes. “I _was_ gonna thank you for being really cool about how things have gone down with Sophie…”

“I’m the best, I know.” He grinned. “I’m genuinely pleased for you both.”

“Thanks. Now go get ‘em, tiger.”

He shook his hips and ran off to the pool.

The afternoon passed in a blur of hilarity as each of us blundered our way through the pageant. Noah, who had coolly avoided me since the events of last night, surprised us all by weaving an intricate braid through Priya’s hair.

Eventually, I stepped up to the stage, a sketched out and scribbled upon piece of paper flapping in my hand. I scrumpled it up and took a breath.

“I’ve always been the class clown. I’ve never been afraid to make a fool of myself to get laughs, but it’s meant I don’t often get taken seriously. And sometimes, it’s the people who put on a front that have pretty serious things going on underneath.” I glanced up at Sophie and she gave me a soft, encouraging smile.

“Check on your extrovert friends, folks. That being said, this whirlwind of a journey has proved so far that I _can_ be pretty serious about something. Or someone.”

Sophie blushed as I smiled at her.

“You weren’t so serious about her at the start, though, were you?” Priya’s voice sounded innocent as she studied her nails, but her smirk was vicious.

“Keep your nasty comments to yourself!” Hannah snapped, surprising all of us. She linked her arm into Sophie’s and Sophie smiled gratefully at her.

“I made mistakes,” I said, starting off shaky but regaining my confidence. “We all do. What’s most important is that you try to fix what you’ve done wrong, before it’s too late.”

I eyed Priya pointedly and she had the decency to look flustered.

“I’m just an average guy from Glasgow, but I’ve walked into something really special. Maybe none of you believe in magic, but I do, because I’ve found it here, and that’s worth more to me than any crown.”

Gary mimed being sick as I walked off the stage.

“Shut up, onion breath,” I snapped.

We all assembled for the casting vote, shuffling and nudging each other anxiously as the girls deliberated.

“I think I have a good chance,” Rocco mused. “Marisol actually fell off her seat during my rain chant.”

“That’s because she fell asleep, mate,” Gary chuckled. “I reckon it’s between Bobby, Lucas, Rahim and Noah.”

“What about me?” Henrik frowned.

“Sorry, fella, but my Nan could twerk better than you did.”

“Fair enough,” Henrik said easily.

“Alright, boys,” Lottie clapped her hands to draw our attention. “It was a hard decision for us girls to make. You all really pulled it out of the bag today. Except you, Gary, that was just disgusting.”

Gary frowned dejectedly and I patted his shoulder.

“We had to make a decision, though, and we all came to the agreement that the boy we’d most like to go on a date with is...Noah.”

Noah smiled shyly as Lottie draped a sash around him and placed the crown on his head. His phone beeped and his face lit up. “Yes! I get to have a video call with my mates!” He hurried off toward the villa.

I beamed as Sophie walked up to me. I wrapped her in my arms and kissed her forehead. “I can’t believe you voted for Noah. Traitor,” I whispered in her ear.

“Sue me. That plait was seriously impressive.” She scrunched her nose as she smiled up at me. “Nice speech, Shakespeare.”

“What can I say, I was divinely inspired,” I grinned. “Thanks for helping me out today. You’re a total angel, you know.”

“I know,” she nodded. “You’re a lucky guy.”

“I am. I really, really am.”

-

Lucas, Henrik, Sophie and I were sprawled over my bed playing cards when Noah burst out of the hideaway and jogged up to me. He looked floored, as if he had seen a ghost.

“Bobby, can we talk?”

I nodded slowly. “Sure.” I turned to Sophie who looked concerned and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I’ll be back soon. I’m counting on you to lash these two in my absence.”

“Consider it done,” she called as Noah marched me out of the bedroom toward the roof terrace.

Noah locked the door behind us and scurried over to the balcony, peering over at the lawn. Seemingly satisfied, he sat down and indicated the space next to him.

“I’ve just had a chat with some of my friends from home and… I owe you an apology, Bobby.”

I almost imitated Marisol and fell off my seat. “You...you do?”

He nodded. “The first thing they did was to warn me against getting too close to Priya. They didn’t say much, just that she’s not exactly the person she’s pretending to be. They also said you were looking out for me yesterday. I’m sorry, Bobby.” He sighed deeply. “I just… I really liked Sophie. If I’m honest with you, I still do. I understand she’s made her choice and I respect that, but I don’t see anyone else here in that way. Even Priya was more of a distraction from having to watch the two of you in your happy little bubble… no offence.”

“None taken, mate. I know it must be hard for you.”

He shrugged. “It is what it is. I probably could have had something solid with Hope if I’d persevered with it, but I couldn’t ignore how I felt about Sophie. Anyway, the summer isn’t over yet. Who’s to say my dream woman won’t walk in here tomorrow morning, eh?”

He turned to me and held his hand out. “Can we put everything behind us?”

My heart was thudding at the information he’d just revealed to me.

_First Lucas, now Noah’s friends. Priya’s wicked schemes clearly aren’t going unnoticed by the public. Could I… am I… am I really in with a chance of winning this thing for real?_

I snapped myself out of my inner monologue and shook Noah’s hand firmly. “BFFs forever.”

He shot me the librarian death stare. “On that note, I think I’ve changed my mind.” He got to his feet and walked over to the door, unlocking it. “Just so you know, I’m going to apologise to Sophie, too. I was a total dick to her last night.”

“She’ll understand.”

He nodded, smiling, and vanished inside.

I grinned to myself as I leaned over the balcony.

_Things are actually coming up Bobby, for once in my life._

I closed my eyes, enjoying the heat of the sun on my face, until a strange feeling made them snap open again.

Priya was standing alone in the middle of the lawn, looking up at me. An icy cold feeling ran up my spine.

_What the fuck? Surely she didn’t hear anything? How she could possibly have-_

Her eyes met mine, cold and snakelike, and the sudden swirling in the pit of my stomach told me all I needed to know.


	16. Darkness

The sun was low in the sky, the horizon a vibrant mix of pink and orange hues. 

Tension crackled in the air as we all stood around the firepit, exchanging shocked glances.

“I don’t want anybody to go,” Hannah whispered sadly, clutching tightly onto Rahim’s arm. He dropped a reassuring kiss on top of her head. 

“There’s certainly  _ someone  _ I wouldn’t mind seeing the back of,” Lottie snarled, throwing a stony glare toward Rocco, who stood hand in hand beside Marisol and had the gall to look sheepish. 

“Nobody should be looking at this tactically,” Noah said firmly, stepping forward and sweeping a solemn look around all of us. “A lot of us have made mistakes in here, but this decision is the end of the road for two lads and I don’t want it boiling down to who’s better friends with who.”

“Well said, Noah,” Sophie nodded. He shot her a thankful smile.

“Guess us girls had better snap to it,” Priya smiled darkly. Her eyes met mine and her lips formed a word that sent shivers up my spine.

_ Goodbye. _

Sophie, who thankfully hadn’t noticed, squeezed my arm, her eyes shining with concern.

“Don’t worry babe,” I said confidently, mustering up a grin. “This snack is staying firmly in the oven.”

Priya let out a barely audible scoff of laughter. I kept my eyes firmly on Sophie, tilting her chin and placing a soft kiss against her lips.

She held my hand as long as she could before reluctantly breaking our hold and walking away, falling into step with the girls and joining their frantic whispered discussion. 

“Well,” Gary announced into the silence. “It’s been nice knowing you all.”

“Don’t be daft, mate, you’re going nowhere,” I insisted. 

Gary shrugged deprecatingly. “They have to choose who’s most likely to leave with a girlfriend. The ways things are after yesterday…” He shot a meaningful look at Rocco. “Can’t say I fancy my chances.”

“Henrik and I have barely settled in,” Lucas said. “It is what it is, but we aren’t looking particularly safe either at this point.”

“If only we could just couple up together,” Henrik grinned. 

Lucas let out a laugh and threw his arm around Henrik’s shoulder. “Spooning buddies for life, my friend.”

“I reckon only you two have nothing to worry about,” Noah indicated Rahim and I with a nod.

_ Not if Priya has anything to do with it. _

After an agonising wait, the girls returned, each looking quietly troubled, save for Priya who looked like that cat that got the cream.

Sophie bit her lip as she looked up at me. I shot her a smile.

‘ _ It’ll be okay _ ,’ I mouthed and she nodded. 

The beep of a text message jolted us out of silence. 

Marisol held her phone up shakily. “Islanders. The girls have each cast a vote on which boy they think is most likely to leave the Island with a girlfriend, and who is least likely. The four boys who received the majority of votes will be up for elimination, with the public deciding which two boys will stay tomorrow - and who will be leaving the Island.”

There was silence for a moment, then Lottie’s phone went off.

“The boy voted most likely to leave the Island with a girlfriend, and therefore safe from elimination is… Rahim.”

Hannah let out a cry of joy and raced over to him. He swept her into an embrace but looked worriedly around at the rest of us as he pulled away and went to stand alone at the edge of the firepit.

“Well done, mate,” I whispered as Sophie’s phone beeped.

“Two boys received no votes for least likely to leave with a girlfriend, and are therefore also safe from elimination.” Her face crumpled into shock as she scanned the rest of the text and my stomach dropped.

“Congratulations Noah and Gary,” she said flatly, pressing her lips together in consternation. “You may both join Rahim.”

Her eyes glittered with tears as she looked up at me. I shrugged, trying to smile but knowing it looked weak despite my efforts.

Priya’s phone beeped and her heels clicked resoundingly as she stepped forward, her tongue swiping gleefully over her teeth as she read out from her phone.

“The fate of the four remaining boys will now lie in the hands of the public. Tomorrow night, the two boys that receive the fewest public votes will leave the Villa with immediate effect.” A smirk played about her lips as she looked straight at me. “May the best men win.”

A collective sigh as we all let down our shoulders blew into the air. Sophie walked over to me, her beautiful face looking utterly downcast. 

“It’s alright,” I whispered as I held her tightly. “It’ll all work out fine.”

She rested her forehead against mine. “If you go...dibs on the cupcake pants.”

I laughed and pushed her away. “No chance, lass. The cupcake pants are a part of me. You can’t hold a man’s signature nightwear to ransom, it just isn’t right.”

She shrugged, trying to stifle a grin. “They could just mysteriously vanish right before you pack your case.”

“Now look here, missy,” I grabbed her from behind and wrapped an arm around her waist, pinning down her arms and then mercilessly tickling her with the other hand. “Relinquish the pants and I’ll stop.”

She screamed with laughter as she tried to wriggle out of my grasp. “Never!”

“Then feel the wrath of the infamous Piano Hands!” I boomed. We ended up in a heap on the lawn, Sophie pressed in close to my side, tears of laughter streaming down our faces.

“Give up?” I muttered into her ear.

“You win this one, Piano Hands. Let me up.”

I helped her to her feet. She beamed up at me and all of the breath was knocked out of my body.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Sophie Gold,” I whispered, pushing her hair back from her face. 

She pressed a long, meaningful kiss against my lips.

“We’re gonna be just fine, aren’t we?” she smiled.

I nodded. “Nothing’s getting in the way of Team Bophie.”

As the words slipped out of my mouth, I looked up and saw Priya, arms folded as she tapped her long nails against her watch and raised a pointed eyebrow.

“I just...need to head inside for a minute,” I said to Sophie, rubbing her arm reassuringly. “Is that okay?”

She turned around and her lips thinned as she clocked Priya waiting. “Sure. I’m gonna go and see how Lucas and Henrik are holding up.”

I kissed her cheek and she smiled, squeezing my hand before she walked away. I watched her place a hand on Lucas’ arm, his face lighting up as he turned to see her.

My stomach tightened and I fought to bat the feeling away.

_ Stop being a jealous idiot. You can trust her. You can trust him. _

Reluctantly, I walked over to Priya, who slid her hand toward my mic pack as she indicated with her head that we needed to retreat to the deserted poolside.

“If you wanted to gloat, don’t bother,” I snapped as soon as we were alone. “You may think you’ve plotted my downfall, but at least I have a decent chance at winning this if I make it through tomorrow. You, on the other hand, are fast running out of options.”

She just laughed. “So you’re really hedging all your bets on getting to the final with Sophie? You think she likes you that much?”

I nodded firmly. “She’s besotted with me. It’s plain sailing from here to the final. The fifty grand is practically in my hands already.”

A wicked smirk stretched Priya’s lips over her teeth, which glinted threateningly in the moonlight. She dropped a pointed look at my mic pack and my heart thudded in horror as I realised she hadn’t turned it off.

“You tricked me,” I whispered, half furious, half fearful. 

“Good luck, Bobby,” she cackled as she strutted away into the night.

My mouth went dry and my vision clouded as my stomach swirled with panic. 

_ What the fuck have I done?  _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	17. I Need You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter is explicit.

_ I have to tell her. _

_ I have to tell her everything. _

I stumbled blearily over the lawn toward Sophie, who was sitting beside Lucas on the grass, their heads tilted slightly together as they talked quietly.

My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty as I staggered over. Lucas stood up immediately, his brow creased in concern as he stuck his hands under my arms to support me.

“Jesus, Bobby, what’s happened? Are you alright, mate?”

Sophie jumped to her feet, panic crossing her features. “Bobby, what’s wrong?” She looked across the lawn. “Can we get a medic over here please?”

“N-no, I just need to…” I stammered, but the familiar throes of a panic attack were starting to set in. 

“It’s okay, Bobby,” Lucas held my shoulders firmly. “Try and focus and think about five things you can hear. Like my voice, which I’m sure you could listen to endlessly. You got five things? Great, now I want five you can see. The beautiful Sophie, for example.”

She smiled cutely and waggled her fingers. I smiled back weakly. 

“Gotta hand it to you, Lucas, this shit is helping,” I muttered between breaths. 

“Glad to be of service.” He looked around angrily at the cluster of producers that had gathered at the edge of the lawn. “Are we getting a medic here anytime soon or shall the non medically trained contestants just hold the fort?”

They exchanged nervous glances and scuttled into the villa.

Lucas turned back to me and smiled reassuringly. “Five things you can touch now, Bob. Just keep it to the upper part of my body, yeah?”

I snorted. “Show me the money, big man.”

He flexed his biceps, grinning. “I did intend on an only female admission to the gun show but I guess you’ll do.”

“You did not just say ‘gun show’.” Sophie mimed retching in disgust. 

“Don’t come for me just because you didn’t get a ticket,” Lucas retorted. Sophie stuck her tongue out and he grinned before turning back to me. “How are you doing, cupcake?”

“Better,” I panted. “Dizzy, though. Down I go.”

I collapsed with a bump onto the ground. Sophie instantly dropped to her knees beside me and looped my arm over her neck. 

“I’m right here,” she whispered encouragingly, nudging my cheek softly with her nose. 

“I don’t deserve you,” I whispered, the racking feeling of despair and panic beginning to work its way up my body again. 

“Make some space, please.”

“Thank goodness,” Sophie muttered, placing a soft kiss on the side of my head before standing to let the medic through. 

I kept my eyes on hers as he began examining me, hoping somehow I could convey the message that I needed her to hear.

_ Please forgive me. _

-

I lay flat on my back, feeling numb as I stared up at the canopy of the hideaway bed.

I’d been taken here after a full blown panic attack to rest, but all I felt was fucking restless. 

Dried tears stuck to my cheeks, like the shame that clung to everything inside of me.

I stood up and walked into the bathroom, staring into the mirror and trying to find someone I could recognise reflected in the glass. 

_ Who have you become, to get where you wanted to be?  _

I jerked my head away, feeling fresh tears spring into my eyes. A light knock came at the door and I rolled my eyes, wanting nothing more than for the producers to leave me the fuck alone.

The door pushed open and Sophie stepped inside, looking like a living angel, barefaced in a short white nightgown, her hair cascading down her shoulders. 

She smiled softly and I felt my heart break just a little. 

_ How could I have let you trust me? Why did I let you fall when I knew I was going to hurt you? _

“Hi, beautiful,” I smiled weakly. She stepped forward and into my arms and I breathed her in, my tears falling down strands of her hair as I inhaled her.

_ I’m so sorry. I just need you like this a little longer. Just enough to remember.  _

She kissed her way up my neck, her hands rubbing underneath my t-shirt and across my chest. I threaded my hands through her hair, grasping the back of her head and pulling her lips up toward mine.

We kissed urgently, desperately, our hands all over one another as I backed her toward the bed, hooking her legs around my waist as she fell back into the sheets.

I tugged at her nightdress, leaning back as she reached down and slipped it over my head. She looked up at me, her eyes dark with desire.

“You’re so  _ fucking  _ beautiful,” I murmured as I delved upon her body, sucking her skin between my teeth and lavishing kisses upon every inch of her, working my way up her torso, looking up at her and feeling myself tighten as she bit her lip, watching me breathlessly as I reached her breasts and flicked at a nipple with my tongue. 

“You’re so perfect,” I growled, tracing circles around her nipple with her tongue, my head going crazy as she gasped and gripped my shoulder, her hips arching beneath me. 

I leaned over her, taking her chin between in my hand, my thumb on her lips. She sucked it into her mouth and I clenched my lips together as my heart thudded and my eyes turned black watching her. 

With my opposite hand, I hooked two fingers in the thin strap of her lacy underwear, tugging it downward slightly.

“May I?”

She nodded, smirking around my thumb and I ripped the flimsy satin fabric down her legs, tossing it aside and pushing her legs apart.

I dipped and started kissing my way up her thighs, my mind clouding into a lusty darkness as I let the intoxication wash over me, as I let go of everything and became animalistic in my instincts. 

_ I need to fuck you so hard that I forget everything.  _

_ I need to know that I had you just once. I need to live forever on this moment, to imprint every inch of you on my mind and know that just once, you were mine. _

Sophie gasped and begged as I pushed a finger slowly inside her, looking utterly perfect as she began to come undone underneath me. 

“I need you, Bobby,” she moaned, her chest heaving and her cheeks flushed as her fingers impaled my skin. She rocked against my hand, her eyes squeezed shut.

“Tell me how much,” I breathed. “Tell me how you want me.”

“I need to  _ feel  _ you. I need you closer, I need you to fuck me so hard it hurts. I need all of you, I need everything, Bobby,  _ please.” _

I withdrew my fingers and pulled Sophie up with me, sucking at her pulse point as she pushed my boxers down and wrapped her fingers around my achingly hard length, sliding her hand up and down so that my vision started to go hazy.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” I hissed, scraping my teeth against her earlobe and rolling her nipples between my fingers. “I’m going to make you come so hard.”

“Then don’t make me wait any longer,” she whispered, flipping me onto my back and crawling over me. 

I grabbed her hips before she lowered herself down. “Sophie. Are you sure?”

She smiled and pressed a kiss against my lips. “I’m sure.”

She slid onto me and we both exhaled raggedly. Stars began to burst behind my eyes.

“Holy shit, you’re so tight. You feel fucking perfect.”

I watched her moving against me, trying to pause my racing brain enough to take her in, how beautiful she was, how perfect, how fucking magical and surreal and lucky I was to have found her. 

_ Let me show you how I want you. Let me take you so completely that there’s no room left for doubt.  _

We fucked desperately, passionately, sweat glistening on our skin and hair sticking to our heads as we gripped each other, gasping and moaning as we both tried to reach our high. 

“Bobby, I’m so close,” Sophie breathed against my skin. “Fuck me harder.”

It was enough to send me to the edge, but I held on and drove into her, so hard it hurt both of us but knowing we needed it.

_ I need this so much.  _

“Come for me,” I pleaded. “I need to see you come apart for me.”

She doubled down as her orgasm started to rock through her. She called my name, so perfect as it spilled from her lips and she trembled and shook and gave herself to me completely. 

I followed her instantly, a million fiery lights exploding against my vision as the high I craved rushed into me, bursting into my veins and whitewashing everything else so that all I saw was her.

“My angel,” I murmured as ecstasy coursed through my veins. “You’re mine, you’re mine, Sophie, stay with me, please…”

I shuddered into the end of my orgasm and we collapsed together, our bodies hot and sticky against one another as I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her head.

She snuggled into me, her arm wrapped around my neck, her heartbeat beginning to slow against my chest as hers rose and fell and my hands stroking her hair lulled her into sleep. 

_ If this is all we’ll ever be, if this is the last moment we’ll ever have, let it last forever.  _

  
  
  
  
  
  



	18. Broken

_I hope you find your way,_

_Sorry we couldn’t make it._

_Still, I miss you anyway,_

_I just grew and couldn’t break it._

_How I wish perfect was enough for my own heart,_

_Sometimes I swear it was enough for my own heart._

Another Lifetime - Nao

-

  
  


“Morning.”

My eyelids fluttered open to find Sophie propped up by her elbows on my chest, her nose crinkled as she smiled at me.

“It’s a good one,” I grinned, leaning forward and kissing her. “Mornin’, beautiful girl.”

She laid on my chest, her hair splayed across my shoulders. I tangled my fingers into it and closed my eyes again, feeling perfectly content. 

And then I remembered. 

“Sophie, there’s something I need to tell you-“

But I was cut off by a delicate rap on the door, then it being unceremoniously shoved open and the flash of red hair as somebody fell inside.

“Morning, lovebirds- oh! Gosh, I’m so sorry!” Hannah threw her hand over her eyes as she clocked Sophie and I in our state of undress, gingerly stepping away from my boxers on the floor. “I didn’t realise… Um, you guys need to come out now. We have to do a challenge in like fifteen minutes.”

“We must’ve slept in,” Sophie giggled, pulling the duvet up around herself as she sat up. “Thanks, Han’. We’ll be right out.”

Hannah nodded and shot the most over the top theatrical wink at Sophie as she backed out of the door. 

“We better get a wiggle on!” Sophie launched herself out of bed and padded over to the bathroom, then doubled back. “Oh hang on, you were saying you needed to tell me something?”

_Tell her. Just fucking do it._

“Just how bloody amazing you are,” I said as I pasted on a smile, hating myself as I did so. “Last night was… it was beyond perfect.”

Sophie walked back over to the bed and I caught her face in a long, deep kiss. 

“You mean so much to me,” I whispered against her lips, my words catching in my throat. I blinked back tears and kissed her again, trying to pour everything into it so that she might begin to understand. 

_Just hold me together for a little while longer, before I break us apart forever._

-

The air was thick with sniggers and glances as Sophie and I sprinted up to the challenge area. 

“Oi oi, finally gracing us with your presence, eh? Long night, was it?” Gary winked, slapping my shoulder as I joined him at the end of the bench. 

“Shut up,” I blushed.

“Now Sophie and Bobby are here, I can read out the rules. This one looks hella juicy, guys.” Lottie stood behind a podium, a stack of envelopes in front of her and a projector off to one side, alongside a table covered in jugs of water. “Are we ready?”

Everyone else whooped and cheered but I kept silent, feeling nauseous as I caught Priya smirking at me unpleasantly from the corner of my eye. 

_Keep it together. Just get this stupid challenge over with and then you can tell Sophie everything._

“Islanders, welcome to today’s challenge, ‘Who Said It?’. Inside the envelopes are quotes about each of you, said behind your back by another islander. You have to throw a jug of water over whoever you think said it. The islander who has the least water thrown over them by the end of the game wins.”

Gasps went up around me as my stomach rocketed to the ground.

_Fuck. Fuck. FUCK._

“Interesting. We get to see who’s been two faced,” Marisol piped up in her usual studious manner.

“Like you, you mean?” Lottie snapped at her. “Anyway, Noah, you’re first up.”

As Noah opened his envelope and read out the quote, it appeared behind him on the screen.

“He said he liked me from day one, but he didn’t even step forward when I walked out. I think he’s playing games.” Noah looked up and a flash of disappointment crossed his face.

He picked up a jug and walked over to Sophie. I waited with baited breath for him to correct her, but he remained silent as he poured the water into her lap instead of over her head. 

“Correct,” Lottie announced as ‘ _Said by Sophie in a conversation with Hannah’_ flashed up on the screen.

Priya was next up, her face contorting in anger as she read out her quote. “She’s been treating Bobby like shit. Honestly, if you’d seen it. She’s nasty, I’m telling you.”

She swiped a jug off the table and marched over to the bench, her knuckles white as she gripped the handle. She unceremoniously whipped the water into Noah’s face, her eyes burning with fury.

“Actually, that was said by Lucas in a conversation with Sophie,” Lottie shrugged. She caught my eye and mouthed ‘ _awkward_ ’ as Priya shot looks of pure hatred at Lucas and Sophie and sat down. 

I looked down at my feet and kept my focus there as a few of the other Islanders took their turn, willing the ground to swallow me alive.

_Maybe they won’t even use that quote. It only happened last night. They could put anyone’s words up there._

“Bobby? You’re up, mate,” Gary hissed in my ear.

My legs trembled as I jogged up to the podium. Lottie handed me the envelope with my name written on the back and as I slid out the card, my heart stopped. 

“I’m telling you now, he’s the biggest player in here. I can’t put my finger on it, but I think he’s taking us all for a ride, especially Sophie.”

My hands were shaking so much that I could barely lift the jug. I stumbled over to the bench and tipped the water in a loud, thundering gush over Priya, who looked delighted at the turn in events even as she was soaked.

“Sorry, Bobby, that was Marisol in a conversation with Rocco.”

I looked at Marisol in surprise and she blushed furiously. 

I dared to look at Sophie but she just shot me an encouraging smile which made me feel a million times worse. 

“Sophie, you’re up!”

_No. No no no no no._

A roar started thundering in my ears, sickness rising in my dry throat as she walked up to the podium and started opening her envelope.

_Please, God, don’t let it be..._

But my whole world fell apart as I knew, by the confusion quickly replaced with disappointment on her face, that my nightmare was about to come true. 

“She’s besotted with me. It’s plain sailing from here to the final. The fifty grand is practically in my hands already.”

A collective shriek went up as gazes of awe switched from me to Noah. 

Sophie deliberated as she stepped forward, the jug teetering in her hands. Her usually bright eyes were filled with hurt as she tentatively approached Noah, and I knew she was wishing with all her might as she threw the water over him that she was right.

Lottie looked at me in utter bewilderment as she flipped over her card. “Sophie, I…” she said quietly, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. That was Bobby, in a conversation with Priya.”

The look on Sophie’s face as she walked over to me was like a knife plunging into my stomach. 

“You said that?” she whispered, the hurt naked on her face. “When?”

I closed my eyes as everything started falling away. “Last night.”

A strangled choke of shock left her lips and I pressed my lips together, clenching my fists as I tried to hold on, knowing that no matter how fucking bad it was, that I deserved every moment of it and she deserved the truth.

When I opened my eyes, Hannah was beside her, furious as she glared at me. I chanced a look around and saw the shock, the confusion on everyone’s faces.

All except Priya, who swept to her feet, looking utterly elated as she walked over to Sophie.

“He’s been playing you the whole time, sweetheart. He came in here for one reason - to get his hands on the fifty grand. You were just a little stone he stepped all over to try to get there.”

Lucas got to his feet, frowning. “You were forcing him. We could see that on the outside.”

Priya barked a laugh. “Get over yourself, _doctor._ I’m far from innocent, I hold my hands up. I wanted the crown, but notoriety is going to get me a lot further than faking love ever will. And I’m going to start by exposing the beloved little baker that seems to have you all under his spell.”

“No.” I drew myself up. I forced myself to look directly at Sophie, even though it fucking cut through me. She looked sad, hurt, confused, a million thoughts running through her mind as she looked at me and realised she was seeing me for the first time. 

“I owe Sophie an explanation. Please, Sophie, let me talk to you in private. I’m not going to beg forgiveness or make excuses. I just want to tell you straight. Please.”

She pushed her lips together as tears started to leak from her eyes. She nodded, managing to squeeze Hannah’s arm as we walked away from the podium, the hushed silence between us and behind us exacerbating the severity of the situation.

_This is it._

_This is how it ends._

-

The sky darkened above us as we sat on the roof terrace, Sophie’s face streaked red with tears and disbelief and hurt as I talked. 

“I came here with every intention of trying to win the prize money. I completely admit that. I made Angelo a promise to keep the restaurant going but it’s crumbling around us without him. My mum and I have got next to sweet fuck all and I needed to do something. My mate came up with the crazy idea of signing up to this show and when I got through… I thought that maybe it was meant to be.”

Sophie was completely silent as I spoke so I took a deep breath and carried on. “Then I met you… and I fell for you from that very first moment. You made me question everything I came here for… I’ve been questioning it ever since. But then Priya walked in and she knew about my plans. She wanted to win as much as I did. I had to couple up with her or she was going to out me… and at that point I couldn’t give up my place, I couldn’t give up my chance to fix everything…”

I scoffed a mirthless laugh. “I should’ve let her take me down there and then. It couldn’t have been worse than this.”

Sophie just stared at me, her eyes hollow, making my insides burn as they screamed to reach out to her.

“Clearly we didn’t appear convincing as a couple, and much more than that was the fact that I just couldn’t stay away from you. You awakened something in me, Sophie, something I’ve never felt before in my life. I felt… I feel… alive around you, like nothing matters more than making you smile. I came here thinking love was such a stupid fucking idea. But I fell right in with you. Sophie, I know I’ve done a hell of a lot of things wrong, but no matter how this ends, I know you were right for me and in different circumstances… we would have been perfect. I wish I could just fucking go back and change everything-“

“But you can’t,” she said emotionlessly. Tears were slipping down her cheeks. “Don’t do this, Bobby. Don’t throw crumbs when you’ve pulled everything out from under me.”

She sighed heavily and wiped ineffectively at her face with the backs of her hands. “I’m not stupid enough to think that everyone really comes on this show for love. Of course, it’s about the fame and the money but… you made me think… I really believed that you…”

“Sophie, I never lied about the way I feel about you-“

“You say that, Bobby, but somehow I just don’t believe you.” She shook her head, smiling without humour. “You said those awful words _last night_ and then proceeded to use me not even two hours later for sex and act like everything was perfect. Were you ever going to tell me, if it hadn’t come out?”

She watched as my mouth opened and held up her hand. “Don’t even bother. Of course you were.” She pushed her lips closed, her face breaking as she tried to hold herself together. “How could I have been so _stupid?_ ”

“Sophie…” I said desperately but she shook her head tightly. 

“My friends all told me to be careful. ‘Don’t fall for the first hot guy that tells you exactly what you want to hear’.” She laughed bitterly. “God, I told you things I’ve never told anybody. I really, _really_ believed you were just as into this as I was. What a fucking idiot.”

“Sophie, I was. I _am_. I swear to god, I have never felt the way I feel when I’m with you, _ever_. I’m-“

“What you are, Bobby, is extremely good at pulling the wool over people’s eyes. You played me extremely well, I’ll give you that.”

She was closing off completely, turning away from me, and every fibre of my being screamed out to her to stop.

_It’s still me. I’m still here, somewhere. Please, forgive me, please god... I can’t live without you now…_

“Sophie,” I sobbed raggedly, my breath catching. “Sophie, _please_.”

“Don’t.” She whirled around, her finger trembling as she pointed at me in anger. “Don’t you fucking dare. _You_ ruined this, Bobby. I’m sorry your lies couldn’t hold up long enough to line your pockets.”

I went to her, sliding my fingers around her wrist. “Don’t walk away, Sophie, please.”

She snatched her hand away and looked me in the eyes and I knew then that she loved me, that I had betrayed her in the worst possible way, and that I would never find my way back to what we had again.

“Stay away from me, Bobby.”

And then she was gone and I was bereft as the world broke away underneath me, barely able to breathe as everything crashed upon me, the darkness tangling around me and consuming me until nothing was all I could see.

  
  
  



	19. Horizon

_I still love you, I promise,_

_Nothing happened in the way I wanted._

I Miss You, I’m Sorry - Gracie Abrams

-

The wheels of the jeep crunched over gravel as we slowly rode to a stop. The tinted windows provided no clue as to where the producers had scooped me up from the roof terrace and taken me, but in all honesty, it wasn’t even worth the effort of giving a fuck.

The door wrenched open and one of the security guards leaned in and unclipped my mic pack.

“This goes straight back on once you’re done,” he warned, as if I’d asked for it to be taken off, as if I had any clue where I was or why they’d brought me here.

As if I could even muster the strength to care.

My legs feeling like jelly, I stepped out of the jeep, my arm over my eyes to stave off the blaring sunshine that used to feel like warmth and hope, and now just felt like pain.

I realised I was at the beach. Sand and sea stretched out endlessly in front of me, the place completely deserted except for a lone figure in the distance, standing at the shore, hands in their pockets.

“Go.” The guard, looking irritable, indicated the figure with a nod of his head and pushed me forward onto the sand.

I squinted as I stumbled forward, my head rocketing. My first thought was that they’d brought Sophie in a separate car to encourage us to talk again, but as I got closer and they took shape, I realised the figure was male.

As I got even closer and started making out features; distinctive red hair, ears that were slightly too large, that lofty stance…. I hadn’t thought my heart could plummet further today after everything that had already happened, but it was in the pit of my stomach as I approached and he turned around.

“Bobby. I hear you’re in a pretty big mess, mate.”

“ _Johnny_ … you’re here… _how_? Are you… are we…”

Wordlessly, he opened his arms and pulled me into a hug, and sheer, palpable relief flooded over me, like the waves crashing on the beach just inches away.

I was sobbing as I clung to him, only able to mutter one word over and over through my tears.

_Sorry._

Johnny waited it out; long, raw, painful minutes passed by as I cried and he held me, wordlessly.

“W-what are you doing here?” I managed, backing off slightly and wiping my nose with the back of my hand like a child.

“Had a picnic earlier. Skipped some stones, you know the drill.” He grinned. “I’ve been in Spain a while, mate. I saw shit starting to go down with Priya…”

He paused as he clocked my expression, grim and white as a sheet. 

“Bobby… it’s okay. I can’t lie, I was fucking raging with you at first, but I know firsthand how manipulative Priya can be. There were loads of armchair experts on Twitter analysing your interactions and it became clear she had something on you. Obviously, I knew what that was.”

He kicked at the sand awkwardly. “It hurt like fuck when I saw that kiss… but I knew things didn’t add up. Especially when I saw how differently you were acting around Sophie. You really like her, huh?”

I shrugged hopelessly. “That’s an understatement. But I’ve well and truly fucked it.”

Johnny shook his head. “I bet you thought you’d fucked it with me, too?”

I nodded sheepishly. “You have every right to go fucking mental at me. As much as Priya stuck her claws in, I was responsible for my choices at the end of the day. I wouldn’t blame you for hating me.”

“Aye, nae bother then, mate. I’ll be seeing you.”

He jogged up the beach then turned around, laughing. “I need you around to make me look good!”

He walked back up and ruffled my hair. “If you’d just been totally snaking me, it would be a different story. But I know your reasons and I know you’d have stuck with Sophie from the get go if you could. So, come on, fill me in on your sorry tale and we’ll get it sorted.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m only gonna say this once…”

His hands flew up in protest. “Mate, if you’re gonna get soppy and tell me you love me or something, you’re going straight in the fucking sea.”

“You’re the best mate I’ve ever had and I love you…. _AARGH_!“

Ten minutes later, sopping wet from head to toe, I sat beside Johnny on the sand and told him everything, culminating with the events of the day. The sun set as I ended on Sophie telling me to stay away. The image of the raw hurt on her face rose in my mind, sending a thousand stabbing knives into my heart.

“Holy shit.” Johnny whistled. “You really have fucked it.” 

“Cheers,” I snapped at him. I dropped my head into my hands. It felt like yesterday, holding Sophie in my arms, was as far away as the horizon, breaking darkly on the ocean waves. 

“What if I told you something that might just cheer you up? Just a little bit.”

“Unless you tell me this whole experience has been a really, really bad dream and some generous multimillionaire benefactor just decided to invest in the restaurant before it went under…”

“Bingo,” Johnny grinned, and my heart flipped. “Well, it’s more like thousands of smaller benefactors…”

“What the fuck are you saying?” My heart was racing, my head frantic as I stared, open mouthed at him. “Johnny, do _not_ fuck with me right now.”

“God's honest truth, mate. Christ knows how, but you’ve got a proper hardcore fan base out there. You started getting some stick about the way you were pinging between Sophie and Priya, so I kind of stepped in and told your story…” He clenched his jaw awkwardly. “It worked, anyway. Someone set up a go fund me for _Juliet’s_ and the goal got smashed in less than a day. They want you to put the excess toward the house, and anything left over to charity.”

“This is a dream. I’m still comatose on that roof terrace and this is a fucking dream… _OW!_ What the fuck, Johnny?”

He cackled as I rubbed the space on my arm that he’d pinched. “You’re being extremely rude, McKenzie, considering I just outright forgave you for snogging my ex girlfriend of seven years, _and_ I just told you the best news of your life.”

“Sorry. Holy shit. I can’t believe it….” My hands were shaking as I fought back tears. “I can’t believe people have been so kind…”

“You’re a lot more likeable than you think, Bobbo.” Johnny hooked an arm around my shoulder. “That’s been your problem all along. You doubted your own abilities. You doubted being able to stand up to Priya and you doubted that you could win by being yourself.”

He looked me straight in the eyes. “You _can_ win, Bobby. You and Sophie are sickeningly perfect for each other. And can I just say, fucking kudos mate because she is seriously out of your league…”

I swatted him and he laughed. 

“Seriously, Bobby, it’s far from being over. You need to get back in there and -“

“I’m not going back.”

His brows creased into a frown. “What the hell do you mean? Of course you’re going back, you can do this! Just talk to Sophie again and…”

“Johnny.” I winced, closing my eyes. “You didn’t see her face. I did. I’ve betrayed her trust. It’s over. Without her… there’s no point in trying any more.”

“You can’t go now! People are supporting you, they’re behind you!”

“And I’m hugely grateful. But she’s the only one I want, and…. she doesn’t want me. Nobody could come in and turn my head, it would be fucking agony seeing her potentially move on to someone else… I can’t do it, mate. She deserves to move on and find her happiness without me hanging around like a black fucking cloud reminding her of what happened.” 

Johnny shook his head. “I’ve seen things you haven’t, mate. The way she talks about you to Hannah… Christ, the way she talks about you when she’s on her own in the beach hut. I’m telling you, if you give up now, you’ll only regret it.”

I swallowed, the numbness creeping over me again, spreading through my limbs until they became wooden. “Two lads are getting dumped tonight, and if one of them isn’t me, then someone decent who hasn’t done anything wrong loses their place. I can’t let that happen either.”

Johnny shrugged. “You’re making a mistake, Bobby.” He patted my knee heavily. “At least just go back and see how you feel. Whatever you choose, I’m here for you.”

I managed a weak smile. “Thanks, mate.”

We sat in silence a little while longer, looking out at the bleak, dark sea, and despite the sinking feeling that I was losing everything I was supposed to find on this island, I was glad to have a friend beside me.

-

I folded the last of my clothes into my suitcase and took a deep breath as I looked around the bedroom.

It was empty, at my request, but faint visions of my friends, laughing and joking and throwing pillows and having deep chats danced before me.

_Friends. Are they, still? Or have I lost them forever too?_

The producers had shut me up in the hideaway and spent an hour on my return trying to convince me to stay. Apparently, great ratings meant more to them than my wellbeing. 

I point blank refused, requesting only that the rest of the Islanders were kept out of the villa while I packed my things. I couldn’t bear to face them, to see the disappointment on their faces.

Sighing heavily, I zipped my case closed and pulled it to the front door. 

“Goodbye,” I whispered quietly, taking one last look.

My suitcase bumped over the uneven ground as I walked toward the waiting jeep. I handed it to the driver who hoisted it unceremoniously into the boot.

My fingers slipped over the door handle, and just for a moment, I faltered.

_Should I…_

_No. There’s nothing left for me here._

“Bobby! Wait!”

My heart hammered as I turned around. “Look, I don’t want any confrontation…”

Noah jogged up to me, panting. “Neither do I. What are you doing, Bobby?”

“What does it look like?” I shrugged. “I can’t stay, mate. I’ve made too many mistakes.”

“You stood in front of all of us just yesterday and spoke about fixing what you’ve done wrong. Take your own advice. Don’t go now. She’s hurt, but you could fix this.”

I smiled mirthlessly. “That’s all I’ve been trying to do this whole time. Fix things. Look where it’s got me.”

Noah shook his head. “Priya told us your story. Obviously, she tried to put a negative spin on it, but we all realised you never had cruel intentions. You were just… misguided. Let me help you, Bobby.”

“I snaked you! I kissed her behind your back and I fucking meant to do it. I’m no good to you, Noah, or anybody else in there. Least of all, Sophie. She deserves so much more than this.” 

I looked up at him through tears. “You can’t help me, Noah, but you can help yourself. Tell her.”

He frowned in confusion, then realisation dawned on him. “That I stepped forward for her? She won’t believe me now.”

“It’s me that broke her trust, not you. You can fix it. You’re a good man, a better man than I am. If you fight for her…”

“ _You_ could fight, Bobby. It’s you she wants. She’s crazy about you, everyone can see that.”

I shook my head. “Not anymore.”

He sighed. “I can’t convince you, can I?”

“No.” I shot him a weak smile. “But thanks for trying, at least.”

He nodded. “I hope you find what you’re looking for out there.”

I smiled sadly as I climbed into the car.

“I already did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is going to be a controversial move, but I just want to stress that this is not the end of the fic.  
> I know some of you will be disappointed by this turn of events, but I hope you’ll stick with me and Bobby and Sophie and keep reading.  
> Thank you all for your continued support. It means everything.


	20. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for my absence. I have a lot going on at the moment, but I appreciate every one of you being patient and consistently supportive. Thank you all.

-

Grey rain slid down the window, my body shuddering slightly as I rested my forehead against the cool pane of glass.

  
  


The plane began to tilt into a descent and I curled tighter in my seat, relief and reluctance flooding through me in equal measure.

“Home sweet home, buddy,” Johnny smiled, clapping my knee in encouragement.

I managed a weak smile before I turned back to the window.

_ I’m so far from you now. Are you pleased I walked away? _

_ Do you wish I had stayed? _

_ I wish…  _

_ I wish I’d done everything differently.  _

As the wheels hit the tarmac and the seatbelt light dimmed, I pulled my hoodie up around my face and with shaking hands, pushed my sunglasses on and pulled my rucksack out of the baggage compartment. 

As soon as we walked into the airport, flashing lights went off in my face like fireworks, the noise deafening as my name was yelled over and over.

“Over here, Bobby!”

“Bobby! Why did you leave?”

“I’ll give you double what anyone else here is offering for an exclusive interview, Bobby!  _ Bobby _ !”

Johnny helped me battle through the throng of reporters, hot tears sparking at the corners of my eyes as I pushed through, a bitter metallic taste running through my mouth as I bit down on my tongue.

“Don’t you have anything to say to the fans who donated to save your business?”

Johnny gripped my shoulder tightly, but I faltered. I turned around, tugging my hoodie under my chin.

“T-thank you. I’m so grateful… none of you will ever know what you’ve done for me. Thank you all so much.”

I smiled weakly, and like predators, as soon as I dropped my defences, they swarmed in, the questions stinging me like hornets.

“What about Sophie?”

“Why did you leave her?”

“A source of mine says you were using her all along, is that true?”

Johnny wrapped an arm around my shoulders and started to guide me away. 

“Leave him alone, you fucking vultures,” he spat. “Just leave him alone.”

Naturally, the reporters blatantly ignored him, following us all the way out of the airport to the taxi waiting outside.

They banged on the roof as we drove off, the lights of their cameras still flashing, flashing, flashing….

_ I’m in such a fucking mess. _

_ And I just feel… nothing. _

_ You made me feel alive, and now you’re gone. _

_ So what am I now, without you? _

We sat in silence until the taxi pulled up outside my house. I breathed deeply.

Johnny smiled warmly. “She’ll be happy to have you back.”

“She’ll be ashamed of me.”

“She’s your mum. She’s there for you no matter what.”

I nodded. I smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks. Johnny. You’re a real mate.”

He shrugged. “I was the one who suggested all this in the first place. Without me…”

“Without you, I wouldn’t have a restaurant.” I climbed out of the taxi and ducked my head back inside, waving my fingers in a salute. “I’ll see you soon, mate.”

“See you, Bobby.”

I held my hand in farewell as the taxi pulled away, then looked up at my house.

_ Crumbling old pile of shite. I’ve missed you.  _

I fished my key out of the depths of my case, hesitating as my fingers brushed the door handle.

_ Time to face the music. _

“The prodigal son has returned,” I called out as I stepped inside, heading toward the dim light in the kitchen.

Mum looked smaller than I remembered her, the rings around her eyes darker, which hadn’t seemed possible. She smiled wearily up at me as she opened her arms and drew me in.

“Oh, Bobby.”

As soon as I was wrapped in her embrace, I broke down. She held me as I cried, rubbing my back gently.

“I’m so sorry, Mum. I was just… I was trying to fix things…”

“Hey.” She chucked my chin and wiped my tears with her thumbs. “Don’t you apologise to me. I should never have put you in that position… it wasn’t your burden. It wasn’t up to you to make it right.” Her eyes shone with tears as they looked into mine. “ _ I’m  _ sorry, my darling. I’ve put you through so much…”

“Mum. I’m a man now. It’s my job to look after us.” I grinned through my tears. “And it’s all fine now, Mum. It’s fixed.”

She swallowed, turning white as a sheet. “So… so Johnny told you, then?”

I nodded, sweeping her around in a whirl. “Isn’t it fantastic, Mum? The restaurant is safe! And money to fix this place too! Isn’t it just… mum? Mum, what’s wrong?”

Her lips trembled as tears spilled out of her eyes. “Bobby…” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Bobby, I’m so sorry…”

“Mum?” I frowned, my heart beginning to hammer. “Mum, what’s going on?”

Her eyes were trained at the floor as she pulled anxiously at her hands. “Before I knew about the money being raised… before Johnny flew out to Spain… he came here to talk to me. He said you’d told him everything, how badly in debt we were… he said he could help us. He said he’d take on the restaurant temporarily, until you came back from the show. He said you’d win, that once you had the money he’d give it back, that the two of you could be partners…”

She looked up at me, her eyes full of pain. “I just wanted to take away the burden… When he told me what you were prepared to do, reminded me what you’d been through - what I’ve put you through… I didn’t want you to have to feel responsible anymore… I signed everything over to him. Permanently.”

I shook my head. “Johnny hasn’t got the money to take over the restaurant. He wouldn’t… I don’t understand.”

“He was just trying to help… Now you have the money from the donations, you can be partners. That’s what he wanted. Is that what you want?”

She looked so hopeful that I could hardly bear to show the crushing disappointment, the betrayal that I felt.

_ She thought she was helping you. _

_ She was trying to fix it. _

I pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back. My stomach swirled with an odd emotion that I couldn’t quite place.

“Why didn’t he tell me?” I frowned. “He didn’t even mention it.”

“Maybe he thought it would be better coming from me.”

I shook my head. “I’ll… I’ll be back soon, okay?” I placed my hands on her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Mum.”

My hands shook as I ran out of the house, my trainers sloshing in thick puddles of rainwater as I ran, adrenaline pushing me through as streetlights and the glare of windows flashed past me. 

I reached the restaurant, covered in scaffolding and construction material, the bile rising in my throat as I drew nearer. 

The lights were on inside, and somehow I knew as I pushed the door that it would open, that everything was waiting for me. 

“I’d say it’s a pleasure to see you again so soon, Bobby, but even I couldn’t make that sound convincing.”

“Priya?” I blinked as she walked over to me, a set of keys dangling from her finger. 

Johnny walked out of the shadows to join her, his mouth set in a grim line. 

“Johnny, what the fuck is going on?”

He opened his mouth but Priya shot him a look and shook her head.

“I must say, Bobby, I already had doubt in your perceptiveness, but to not even notice that I’d boarded the plane right behind you? That was just careless.”

“Someone tell me what the  _ fuck  _ is happening.”

She laughed, cold and callous. “We should really be thanking you, Bobby. You made this so much easier than we ever had planned.”

I looked at Johnny, my blood turning to ice in my veins. “You set this all up. You told me about the show on purpose.”

Priya smiled like a spider catching its prey in a tangled web. “Well, well, there  _ is  _ a brain in there somewhere. Face it, Bobby, this place was wasted on you. You were never going to make it anything more than a cheap little family restaurant. So we had to step in. We’ve done you a huge favour.”

Johnny interjected. “Let me tell him -“

Priya shot him a furious look. “ _ I’m talking _ .” She looked back at me, her eyes drawing up and down in disgust. “I’m so glad I didn’t have to spend three months pretending I don’t find you utterly repulsive to get to the final.”

She feigned a dramatic sigh and looked me dead on. “Here’s how it all went down. Johnny told me for years how you were struggling after you dear dead stepdad shook off his mortal coil and left you in charge. Poor old fool. As if  _ you  _ could be capable of running a business. Anyway, I digress,” she grinned as she caught my fists curling in fury.

“When you got desperate for money, the perfect opportunity presented itself. I wanted to be famous, you wanted fifty grand. I had to fuck a couple of show runners to get us both accepted, but you don’t mind, do you darling?” Her fingers curled unpleasantly around Johnny’s chin as she forced him to shake his head. “I did intend to seduce you and let you believe I was falling over myself to be with you to get you to the final, but you’re such a good boy, Bobby. You wouldn’t betray your best friend unless you absolutely had to. Plus, you make me physically sick.”

She laughed unpleasantly to herself. “And sweet little Sophie threw a spanner in the works. Poor thing, she even lay down for you and you still stabbed her in the back. Worked out perfectly for me, though. Now you can’t win and buy us back out. Not that you’ll be able to afford to, once I transform this place. I always wanted my own boutique. I was going to steal from you in the end, or stick out a little showmance until I made enough money to buy my own place, but your mum, god bless her soul, just gave it all away for free! For nothing! And since Johnny set up the funding page under his own details, all your adoring fans have bankrolled everything, so it hasn’t cost me a single penny.”

She pouted mockingly at me. “Oh dear, Bobs. No restaurant. No money. No best friend. No  _ love _ . At least you have me, to teach you the most important lesson of all. Don’t play games that you can’t win.”

Her eyes were lit up with glory, triumphant as she snatched everything out from underneath me and I felt the fragments of my life falling, slipping through my fingers as I tried to register what was going on.

_ I have nothing. _

_ I’ve lost it all. _

_ I’ve lost everything. _

  
  
  



End file.
